Popiah

What makes it popiah

• A thin, soft, unfried wheat wrapper.
• A filling of stewed jicama, carrot and bean sprouts, often with tofu and prawn.
• Sweet sauce, egg and crushed peanuts inside, and fresh herbs.

Where it comes from

In Xiamen and Quanzhou it's runbing, 'moist cake', eaten above all at the Qingming festival, when families roll their own at the table. The filling is slowly stewed until soft and savoury; the wrapper is made by wiping a ball of wet dough across a hot plate.

It travelled with Hokkien emigrants: as popiah to Singapore and Malaysia, as runbing to Taiwan, and — most agree — into the Philippines as lumpia.

How it varies

Xiamen runbing

A very juicy filling with seaweed and seafood, often with peanut-sugar powder.

Singaporean popiah

With sweet sauce, chilli and garlic spread on the wrapper, and lettuce.

Fried popiah

Rolled smaller and fried crisp.