P
Chinese · Chaozhou, Southern Fujian
Teochew Lor Bak (五香肉卷)
Pork and prawn filling seasoned with five-spice, soy, and water chestnuts, wrapped in tofu skin (fu pei) and deep-fried until golden and crunchy. A signature Teochew and Hokkien appetiser served with a dipping sauce of sweet soy and chilli. Called ngoh hiang in Hokkien dialect.
‹Swipe for the next dish›
I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
For the filling
300 g
pork belly
coarsely chopped
Your own market
150 g
raw prawns
shelled, deveined, coarsely chopped
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
80 g
1 tsp
five-spice powder
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
2 tbsp
soy sauce
1 tsp
sesame oil
Your own market
For the wrapper and sealing
2 sheets
dried tofu skin (fu pei / doufu pi)
soaked until pliable, handled with care
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1
egg
beaten, for sealing the rolls
Your own market
For frying
1 litre
neutral oil
for deep-frying
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
For the dipping sauce
3 tbsp
kecap manis (sweet soy)
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1 tbsp
sambal or chilli sauce
to taste
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.
II
The Method
1
Soak the dried tofu skin sheets in cold water until fully pliable — they must bend without cracking. Lift each sheet with care; a torn sheet cannot be used. The skin is ready when it yields to gentle pressure without resistance.
2
Combine the coarsely chopped pork belly, prawns, and diced water chestnuts in a bowl. Add the five-spice powder, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Mix firmly until the filling coheres. The five-spice must be assertive on the palate; adjust before rolling. Pat the surface of the filling dry — any pooled moisture will soften the crust during frying. The mixture is ready when it holds its shape briefly when pressed.
From the canon — Five-spice powder (wu xiang fen) is the most important Chinese spice blend — typically: star anise, Sichuan pepper, Chinese cinnamon (cassia), cloves, and fe… Five-Spice Powder — The Blend and Its Logic (五香粉) →
3
Lay a soaked tofu skin sheet flat. Place a portion of filling along one edge in a compact log, leaving clear margins at each side. Do not overfill — a roll packed too tightly will burst in the oil. Roll firmly and evenly, tucking the sides in as you go. Seal the final edge with beaten egg, pressing it closed. Repeat until all filling is used. Rest the assembled rolls in the refrigerator for 30 minutes; the filling firms and the seal sets.
4
This is where the dish lives or dies: heat the oil to 170 °C. Lower the rolls in gently, seam-side down, in batches — do not crowd the vessel. Fry until the wrapper is deep golden and shatters audibly when tapped. An under-fried roll yields a soft, yielding skin; the colour must be a uniform deep amber with no pale patches.
5
Lift the rolls and drain briefly. Cut each roll on the bias. Serve immediately — the crust softens rapidly. Accompany with the dipping sauce of kecap manis stirred together with sambal.
III
Quality Hierarchy
01
Reserve — Heritage-breed pork belly with high fat marbling; wild-caught prawns; hand-harvested fresh water chestnuts; artisanal dried tofu skin with a thin, even gauge.
02
Estate — Good-quality free-range pork belly; fresh shell-on prawns; tinned water chestnuts drained and dried; reliable dried tofu skin from a specialist supplier.
03
Market — Standard pork belly; frozen prawns fully thawed and patted dry; tinned water chestnuts; supermarket dried tofu skin.
04
House — Minced pork substituted for chopped belly; pre-cooked frozen prawns; tinned water chestnuts; tofu skin from an Asian grocery, soaked with care.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Touch. Soaked tofu skin bends without cracking and yields to gentle pressure — pliable but intact.
◇Touch. Pressed filling holds its shape briefly and shows no pooled liquid on the surface.
◇Sight. Fried rolls are a uniform deep amber with no pale patches remaining on the wrapper.
◇Sound. The fried wrapper produces an audible shatter when tapped with a utensil.
◇Where it lives or dies. The dish lives or dies in the oil: 170 °C and sufficient frying time are the only path to a wrapper that shatters — any deviation produces a crust that is soft, greasy, or burst.
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VI
What to Pour
The pairing
Baijiu
From British Columbia
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Without alcohol
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The whole pairingPillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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Sourced through Provenance