A delicious and popular appetizer served in Asian restaurants all over the United States, egg rolls can be made in a wide variety of ways and offer a tasty opportunity for starting a meal.
National Egg Roll Day provides an opportunity to celebrate this little wrapped roll!
National Egg Roll Day Timeline
Emergence of early Chinese spring roll–style pastries
In China, thin wheat-flour pancakes filled with vegetables appear in records as seasonal foods for the Spring Festival, seen as ancestors of later fried spring and egg rolls.
Spring rolls become associated with Lunar New Year customs
By the Song period, “spring dishes” that included rolled pancakes with fillings were popular for welcoming spring, helping establish the cultural link between rolled snacks and prosperity.
Chinese immigrants bring fried roll traditions to the United States
Cantonese immigrants arriving during the California Gold Rush and building the transcontinental railroad introduce regional dishes, including various pan‑ and deep‑fried rolls, that evolve in American Chinatowns.
Publication of “Chinese-Japanese Cook Book” in America
One of the first English‑language Chinese cookbooks, it describes stuffed and fried pastries from Chinese cuisine, laying groundwork for American adaptations like the later egg roll.
Rise of American Chinese restaurants and snack foods
As chop suey houses and Chinese restaurants spread in U.S. cities, chefs experiment with heartier, fried appetizers tailored to American tastes, setting the stage for the thick‑skinned egg roll.
Henry Low’s egg roll recipe appears in “Cook at Home in Chinese”
Chef Henry Low of New York’s Port Arthur Restaurant publishes a recipe titled “Egg Roll,” using a wheat‑flour wrapper and pork‑cabbage filling, one of the earliest known printed American egg roll recipes.
Frozen egg rolls enter U.S. supermarkets
Postwar demand for convenience foods leads food companies to mass‑produce frozen “Chinese” items, including egg rolls, helping cement the egg roll as a familiar American snack and appetizer.
Global fried rolls like lumpia and chả giò gain U.S. visibility
Immigrants from Vietnam and the Philippines popularize their own fried rolls, such as chả giò and lumpia, broadening Americans’ understanding of stuffed, fried rolls related to the egg roll concept.
How to Celebrate National Egg Roll Day
Have loads of fun celebrating National Egg Roll Day and enjoy the day best with some of these ideas:
Enjoy Some Egg Rolls
Since the day is sponsored by Van’s Kitchen egg rolls, perhaps that might be a good place to start in honor of National Egg Roll Day.
But, of course, any preferred brand of frozen or freshly made egg roll will be delightful to eat and share with friends to celebrate. Try out chicken egg rolls, And don’t forget to try them with a few different flavors of dipping sauces, just for fun.
Try Making Egg Rolls at Home
Those who are adventurous in the kitchen might want to try making their own egg rolls in celebration of National Egg Roll Day.
For the best results, visit an Asian market to get access to egg roll wrappers and other ingredients. Find a preferred recipe for egg roll filling online, including pork as well as cabbage, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and a few other ingredients.
Stuff the wrappers with the cooked filling, roll them up and deep fry them for a delicious appetizer or meal!
Learn Fun Facts About Egg Rolls
In celebration of National Egg Roll Day, consider rolling out some of these fun facts and sharing them with friends to raise awareness for the day. Get a head start with some of these bits of trivia about egg rolls:
Egg rolls are made with wheat flour and often contain no eggs!
Egg rolls are traditionally dipped in sauces, such as duck sauce, plum sauce, soy sauce or hot mustard.
Egg rolls are different from spring rolls in that they are larger and usually contain pork, while spring rolls are often vegetarian.
History of National Egg Roll Day
While most people assume that egg rolls are from China, this may not necessarily be true. Yes, the concept of egg rolls may have originated in Asia, and some people believe that at the time the contents may have even been wrapped in an actual egg (thus, the name).
But today, the egg roll usually consists of a wrapper made from wheat flour, then deep fried for a deliciously crunchy and chewy finish.
The American-style way that many people think about eating egg rolls today is a bit modern and has more of a western flare to it. In fact, one chef named Henry Low seems to be given credit by many people for creating the egg roll in the 1930s – in New York City!
National Egg Roll Day was first established in 2019 by Van and Kim Nguyen, who are the Vietnamese immigrant owners of Van’s Kitchen, a company in the US that sells pre-made egg rolls. The company founded National Egg Roll Day in June in honor of the beginning of the Van’s Kitchen brand in June of 1986.
