Moms Lumpia

Crispy Filipino style spring rolls with pork, shrimp and sweet potato. A heartfelt family recipe inspired by Lumpiang Shanghai.  Golden, crisp rolls filled with pork, shrimp and a gentle sweetness, fried just as she used to make them. The final batch from her freezer, cooked with gratitude and quiet tears. Some recipes are more than food, they are love wrapped tight and shared at the table. #mumlumpia #lumpiangshanghai

Cooking for Mum has come to an end. Her passing was quick, unexpected, unplanned, and nothing had been formally handed over to me and my sister. Instead of instructions and stories, we found ourselves sorting through a lifetime of belongings. We packed what could move to my sister’s home in Zurich, donated what still had purpose, sold what made sense, and let go of what no longer served anyone. I let my daughter choose a few things from Granny as remembrance. Each object carried weight.

Mum was organised, so clutter was not the challenge. The real task lay in the papers. She kept photographs, documents, notes and receipts from decades past. Among those were her recipes. Just like me, she wrote them down and saved them carefully. I found notebooks filled mostly with ingredient lists, rarely with full methods. I plan to bring many of those cookbooks and notebooks back to New Zealand and slowly recreate her dishes, sharing them so her cooking continues to live on.

During the last two months, I had been cooking for her because she did not like hospital food. When I arrived on the first of January, everything had already stopped for her. At home, however, she had prepared food for Christmas. She had planned to celebrate there, but never returned. Some dishes in the fridge had expired, yet she had wisely frozen several bags of lumpia.

On my first day back, before I even went grocery shopping, I fried a batch for my daughter and myself. I left half in the freezer. After Mum passed away, we cooked the final bag before leaving. Even in death, she had found a way to feed us one last time. I felt overwhelmed with emotion as I ate them. This was the last food she prepared and the last taste of her cooking I would ever have.

They were not exactly what I remembered from childhood. The flavour had a subtle sweetness. Perhaps living in Switzerland influenced her ingredients. I searched through her recipe stash and found the ingredient list. She had not written the method, only the components. That was her way. Experience filled in the rest.

Inspired by a Filipino Classic

This recipe draws inspiration from Lumpiang Shanghai, the iconic Filipino spring roll that appears at nearly every celebration. Traditionally, Lumpiang Shanghai features ground pork, finely chopped aromatics and vegetables, rolled in a thin wrapper and deep fried until crisp. It is small, golden and always the first dish to disappear from the table.

The name lumpia comes from the Hokkien words lun, meaning moist, and pia, meaning pastry. Chinese traders introduced early spring rolls to the Philippines centuries ago. Filipino cooks adapted them with local ingredients and thinner wrappers, creating something distinctly their own. Over time, Lumpiang Shanghai became a symbol of gatherings, abundance and family.

Mum’s version, however, carried her own signature. She combined pork and shrimp mince and added finely chopped sweet potato. That small addition gave the filling a gentle sweetness and a softer texture. It is not the traditional composition of Lumpiang Shanghai, but it clearly grew from it.

A Recipe That Carries Her Story

This is not simply an appetiser. It is Mum’s Lumpia, inspired by Lumpiang Shanghai and shaped by her life. She was both my mother and my father (as he passed away when I was 4). She worked tirelessly so my sister and I could have opportunities she never had. She sacrificed comfort, rest and sometimes even her own dreams so we could chase ours. She provided for us with quiet strength and unwavering determination.

She taught us that hard work is not something to complain about but something to honour. She showed us that love does not need grand gestures. Sometimes love looks like packed lunches, late nights waiting up, and freezers filled with food for the holidays. Even after she left this world, she still managed to care for us in the only way she knew best, by feeding us.

The last dish I cooked for her was lomi, the perfect partner to lumpia, and the coincidence feels strangely significant. She spent her whole life feeding us, and this final batch of lumpia feels like her way of holding us one more time

Mum, thank you for your sacrifices, for your strength, and for raising us with unconditional love. We miss you deeply. Through your recipes and the meals I recreate from your notebooks, you will always have a place at our table.

Moms Lumpia

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Raymund
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Yield: 30 1x

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Description

Crispy Filipino style spring rolls with pork, shrimp and sweet potato. A heartfelt family recipe inspired by Lumpiang Shanghai.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 250 g pork mince
• 250 g shrimp mince
• 1/3 cup finely chopped sweet potatoes
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 egg
• lumpia wrappers
• oil for deep frying

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Instructions

1. In a bowl, combine the pork mince, shrimp mince, sweet potatoes, shallot, salt, pepper and egg. Mix thoroughly until evenly distributed and slightly sticky.
2. Separate the lumpia wrappers and keep them covered with a damp cloth to prevent drying out.
3. Lay one wrapper flat. Place 1 to 1½ tablespoons of filling near the lower edge and shape it into a thin log.
4. Fold the bottom edge over the filling and roll once. Fold in the sides, then continue rolling tightly. Seal the edge with a dab of water or beaten egg. Repeat with the remaining filling.
5. Heat oil in a deep pan over medium heat. Fry the lumpia in batches, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 5 to 7 minutes.
6. Drain on a rack or paper towels. Serve whole or sliced into bite sized pieces with sweet and sour sauce, banana ketchup or spiced vinegar.

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