Difference Between Spring Roll and Egg Roll (Updated 2024)

Name: 5 Easy Spring Roll Recipes
Ingredients: Avocado Chicken Spring Rolls; Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls with Shrimp + Peanut Sauce; Fried Spring Roll; Crispy Vegetable & Mushroom Spring Rolls; Pad Thai Spring Rolls

Updated Mar 17, 2023Recipe Marker

spring roll vs egg rolls - whats the difference

Spring Roll vs Egg Roll? Which is better you might ask, or simply what is the difference? Stick around as we share the answer.

While both are well-known rolled Asian appetizers, a fine line separates the two. If you’re among those who are not familiar with their differences, then here’s a comprehensive guide to help you draw the line between the two.

Whether you’re simply curious or want to learn the details before preparing a feast, knowing how spring rolls and egg rolls differ is a step closer to further appreciating the two dishes.

Ready to learn what separates the two? Here, we have rounded up everything you need to know. Check it out below!

Spring Roll vs Egg Roll

Dubbed among the most popular forms of Asian dishes, spring rolls, and egg rolls are often compared and wrongly interchanged.

Generally, the mistake stems from the fact that both are rolled appetizers and their names end with the same word.

However, the two greatly differ from each other. In fact, each has its own origin, taste, texture, and content. Read on to learn more.

What is a Spring Roll?

Defined as a traditional Chinese snack, Spring Rolls are crispy, rolled appetizers that usually contain meat and vegetables.

Specifically, the dish is created by chopping vegetables and meat, rolling them up with a wrapper like a burrito, and then frying them until they become crispy and golden.

Generally, the food’s origin traces back to China as a seasonal food consumed during spring festivals, thus the name “Spring Roll.”

In Vietnam, spring rolls don’t come fried. Other countries also use different sauces to pair with the dish.

Originally, they contained spring vegetables and served as a way to welcome the season after the long winter months.

However, to date, spring rolls now come in different variants as different countries modify the dish according to their tastes and culture.

In the north and east Asia, for instance, spring rolls normally use minced pork and cabbage as their fillings, while Southeast Asian countries often use ground meat, diced vegetables, and even prawns.

What is an Egg Roll?

Unlike Spring Rolls, the origin of Egg Rolls is still up for debate. To date, stand as an icon in American Chinese cuisine.

One author, Andrew Coe, claimed that the modern American egg roll version was probably invented at a Chinese restaurant in New York City in the early 1930s.

Similar to spring rolls, egg rolls use a broad variety of ingredients as fillings.

Specifically, the snack often includes chopped seasoned cabbage, sliced carrots, ginger, and bits of pork or chicken.

However, its name comes from the fact that the dough used in wrapping the ingredients is made of flour and eggs.

Difference Between Egg Roll and Spring Roll

Generally, spring rolls and egg rolls differ in three ways: their origins, their texture, and by their ingredients.

Specifically, while spring rolls originated from China, egg rolls likely did not.

Meanwhile, since the dough used in preparing egg rolls is made from flour and eggs, the dish ends up relatively thicker and sturdier in texture compared to spring rolls.

Moreover, while some variants of spring rolls aren’t deep-fried, egg rolls are entirely crispy and golden.

And, lastly, spring rolls often only contain chopped vegetables as their fillings, while egg rolls typically have meat in them.

The latter also includes eggs in the recipe, while the former does not.

The Bottom Line

Is it clear now how spring rolls and egg rolls differ? While one is most often prepared crunchy and chewy, the other is commonly available crispy and flaky.

The two also vary by how they are cooked and what ingredients are involved in the recipe.

Which of the two popular dishes appeals to you more?

Feel free to try preparing either of these snacks and decide for yourself which is better than the other. Hope you like our explanation of the difference between a spring and an egg roll.

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