There are Rolls and There are Rolls, in Nyonya Cooking
By Dr. Ong Jin Teong
December 2024 FEATURE
HAINANESE SPRING ROLLS or choon piah may be related to Popiah, but they are not the same thing. This uniquely Penang dish with origins from Nyonya and Hainanese kitchens is a deep fried, golden brown dish that is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Popiah, however, is not fried. Choon piah is served during the Spring festival—better known as Chinese New Year; it is an auspicious golden brown (by the way, choon means spring in the Hokkien dialect).The original choon piah was served at old...
Dr. Ong Jin Teong
is the author of two award-winning books —Nonya Heritage Kitchen: Origins, Utensils, Recipes and Penang Heritage Food: Yesterday’s Recipes for Today’s Cook. Following his retirement as a Nanyang Technological University’s College of Engineering professor, he lectures, conducts classes, writes books and articles on Nyonya cooking and food heritage, and runs the occasional supper club.
