Popiah (薄饼, Hokkien: poh-piah, literally thin cake) is the fresh spring roll of Fujianese and Teochew cuisine — a thin, soft, round wheat flour crepe (the skin) wrapped around a cooked filling of jicama (bangkuang), turnip or daikon, beansprouts, egg, prawns, and pork, with various condiments added at the table. It is distinct from the fried spring roll in being uncooked after assembly — the wrapper is soft and moist, not fried. Popiah is prepared at the table, with diners assembling their own rolls from a selection of fillings and condiments. It is the Fujianese equivalent of the Peking duck pancake ritual — a communal assembly meal.
The popiah skin (wrapper): Made from a very soft, almost batter-like wheat flour dough that is worked against a hot griddle — a technique where the cook continuously rotates a ball of soft dough against the hot griddle surface, depositing an extremely thin, even film of dough, then lifts the dough ball away as the skin sets. The skins should be paper-thin, completely smooth, and large (20-25cm diameter). The filling: The primary filling is always turnip or jicama — finely julienned and stewed in a rich prawn and pork broth until very soft and the liquid has mostly evaporated. Accompaniments: fried shallots, cooked omelette strips, sauteed prawns, Chinese sausage slices, beansprouts (blanched), fresh coriander, cucumber strips. Condiments: Hoisin sauce, sweet bean paste, crispy fried garlic, fresh chilli. Assembly: Spread a thin line of hoisin sauce across the center of the skin. Add the jicama filling. Layer accompaniments. Fold the sides of the skin in, then roll tightly from the bottom.
Fuchsia Dunlop, Invitation to a Banquet (2023)