Posted By Joel on March 3, 2010

No, it’s not an Italian–Chinese love story. Well, not exactly

Chinese chun juan or spring rolls – thin dough skins spread with finely minced vegetables, meat, shrimp or oysters and rolled into, well…a roll…evoke an emotional response of home and family for my Chinese wife. Since her parents are currently visiting us, a special request for home town chun juan was speedily attended.

Now, you may think all chun juan are the same…nein! Like pasta in Italy, local interpretation is the rule with chun juan and they can be served either fresh or fried. My in-law’s version is from their local area in southeast China and is known thereabouts as bou bian.

Like the Earl of Sandwich who first placed meat between two slices of bread when too busy to eat otherwise, it was an ambitious Chinese too busy with study to eat a proper meal who needed convenient and fast food: vegetables and whatever else was available were rolled up in a thin dough wrapper and, voilà, chun juan!

The fresh wrappers for rolling chun juan are best purchased at your local Asian grocery as there is no good way to make them at home. Finely shredded vegetables - cabbage, carrots, bamboo shoots, leeks, snow peas, water chestnuts - are heated in a large pot with some oil and cooked until sauté tender. Finely minced pork, tofu and / or shrimp or oysters are cooked and then combined with vegetables, all mixed well, and salted to taste.

The fun part: a fresh spring roll wrapper is spread out on a plate with some of the vegetable / meat mixture placed in the middle. A pinch or two of each of your preferred condiments is added. Recommended, but optional condiments include chopped fresh parsley, very finely shredded seaweed, sweet peanut crumb, hot sauce. The wrapper sides are folded in just a bit toward the middle, then, rolled from the bottom up, forming a shape reminiscent of a sandwich wrap or egg roll.

TIP: To avoid tearing, don’t allow any juices that may have collected in the vegetable / meat mixture’s bowl onto the wrapper.

Thank you for your attention to this point; I haven’t forgotten about the Verdicchio.

Verdicchio’s clean, bright, fragrant character and lively acidity create a wildly attractive pairing to the fresh and subtlely-exotic texture and flavors of chun juan. And its full body, dryness and good structure are well suited to the delicate, but savory nature of chuan juan’s fundamental ingredients. We chose a delicious and inexpensive Verdicchio Classico from the Castelli di Jesi zone in Italy’s Marche, made by producer Sartarelli, which worked blissfully well.

Verdicchio and chun juan: Enticing. Even romantic. Different. Just plain good.

If you have some time on your hands, more time than had the Earl of Sandwich, make fresh spring rolls at home. Otherwise, order them at the restaurant or do a take-out. Pick up a bottle of good Verdicchio. Get in the mood for a love story…well, kind of

Categories: $ (Under $25), Food, Marche, Wine
Tags: Verdicchio