Discover the Magic of Cantonese Steamed Vermicelli Rolls

Hey there, foodies! Today, I’m super excited to introduce you to one of the most amazing snacks from Guangdong, China – the steamed vermicelli roll, or as we call it in English, “steamed vermicelli roll,” and in Cantonese, “Cheong fan.”. It’s a big deal in the world of Cantonese cuisine, and trust me, once you try it, you’ll be hooked!

Origins: A Tale of Two Stories

There are two interesting stories about where this delicious treat came from. Some say it started in Guangzhou. Back in the late Qing Dynasty, you could already hear street vendors shouting to sell steamed vermicelli rolls on the streets of Guangzhou. It was so popular because it tasted great and was cheap, becoming a favorite among the common people.

But there’s another story. It might have originated from Longzhou (now Luoding City in Guangdong) during the Tang Dynasty. It was transformed from a local traditional food called “Youwei Ci”. At first, it was called “Longkan Ci”. Legend has it that Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, while traveling in the south, was so impressed by this food’s “smooth, tender, and slippery” texture that he said it looked more like pig intestines than a ci, and thus named it “steamed vermicelli roll”. After that, it spread all over Guangdong.

Types: More Than Meets the Eye

By Making Method

Cloth – Steamed Vermicelli Roll: The most famous ones of this kind come from Xiguan in Guangzhou. You make the rice slurry and steam it on a cloth, so it’s also called “cloth-steamed and rolled rice.”. The rice slurry mainly uses rice flour, with some wheat starch, cornstarch, and potato starch added. People usually cut the roll into pieces and add sesame, sweet sauce, or hot sauce when eating. In the past, mobile street vendors often sold the plain version, but now most are sold in stores.

Drawer – Steamed Vermicelli Roll: For this type, the rice slurry is made purely from rice. People focus more on enjoying the texture of the rice and the flavor of the sauce.

By Regional Flavors

Luoding Steamed Vermicelli Roll: The rice slurry here is made from high-quality local rice. After soaking the rice for 6 hours, it’s ground with a stone mill without adding anything extra. The sauce is made by boiling more than 30 kinds of spices, which has a light but fragrant smell. The roll is crystal-clear, not too light or greasy, with a strong rice flavor, and it’s really soft and smooth.

Guangzhou—Style Steamed Vermicelli Roll: The skin is transparent, and the presentation is very delicate. The taste is light, and there are many flavors to choose from, like barbecued pork and egg roll, pork liver and lean meat roll.

Huilai Steamed Vermicelli Roll: It has a lot of thick and light-colored sauce. Usually, it’s served on a plate that can hold soup, and you can use a soup spoon to eat it. The rice skin is thick and chewy.

Chaozhou Steamed Vermicelli Roll: What makes it special is the combination of the roll with peanut butter and sesame paste. The rice skin is thick and tough, and the fillings can include eggs, meat, and sometimes cabbage.

Shantou Steamed Vermicelli Roll: The sauce is relatively light, and sometimes just soy sauce is used, with dried radish on top.

Puning Steamed Vermicelli Roll: The soup is thick, and the rice roll is chewy. You can add oysters, beef, shrimp, and other ingredients according to your taste.

Chenghai Steamed Vermicelli Roll: The dried radish grains sprinkled on the roll are fried in oil, making them smell even better.

Raoping Steamed Vermicelli Roll: The roll is spread straight, and there are both sweet and salty sauces. The sweet-flavored roll is quite unique in Chaoshan-style steamed vermicelli rolls. Usually, there’s also soup sold where you buy the roll.

Chaoyang Steamed Vermicelli Roll: There’s a lot of light-flavored sauce. Common side dishes include spinach and watercress, and it’s often served with sausage and mushrooms. It goes great with Chaoyang-style quick-boiled meat.

The Chaoshan-style steamed vermicelli roll is different from the Guangzhou-style. The fillings are added when the rice skin is half-cooked, which makes the fillings more tender and crispy. And they always sprinkle dried radish grains. The fillings are also more diverse than those in Guangzhou.

How to Make It: Let’s Get Cooking!

Method 1

Soak 500 grams of old-fashioned rice and 600 grams of water for more than 3 hours.

Grind the soaked rice with an equal amount of water, making sure the grinding speed is even.

Mix 50 grams of wheat starch with some water and stir it evenly with the rice slurry.

Make a mixture of raw and cooked slurry. The ratio of raw to cooked slurry is about 10:1, and add some salt.

Brush some peanut oil or roast duck oil in the drawer. Pour an appropriate amount of the raw – cooked slurry and spread it about 2.5 millimeters thick. You can add minced meat or eggs. Steam it over high heat for about 1 minute, and then use a special shovel for steamed vermicelli rolls to take it out. It’s soft, smooth, springy, white, and fragrant.

Method 2

Mince the pork and mix it with salt, chicken powder, a little sugar, and scallions. You can also add some five-spice powder if you like.

Spread a thin layer of pork and mung bean sprouts on the rice skin and roll it up carefully.

Put it in the pot and steam for 5 – 8 minutes.

After it’s cooked, pour the prepared sauce on it.

Tips: Use a white cotton cloth to steam the roll, and the holes in the cloth shouldn’t be too big. You can add meat fillings or shrimp when steaming. Using the soup from braised pork ribs or stewed beef brisket to make the sauce will make it more delicious.

Method 3 (Making the Sauce)

Chop five or six cloves of garlic.

Mix two small spoons of starch with a small bowl of water, add light soy sauce and an appropriate amount of oyster sauce, and stir well.

Heat some oil in a pan. Put the chopped garlic in and fry it over low heat until it turns golden. Then add the prepared starch mixture and boil it over high heat until it becomes clear and transparent.

Method 4

Prepare lettuce, minced meat, shrimp, eggs, rice flour, salt, oil, starch, wheat starch, etc.

Mix 150 grams of rice flour with 450 grams of water and let it stand for 3–4 hours (you can also let it stand for 2 hours).

Add salt, oil, starch, and wheat starch and stir to make a thin rice slurry.

Put light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar in a bowl. Heat some oil in a pan until it boils and pour it into the bowl with soy sauce.

Prepare some raw oil, a brush, a scraper, and a steaming plate (like a pizza pan). When the water in the pot boils, steam the empty plate for 1 minute, take it out, and brush some oil on it.

Stir the rice slurry and pour it onto the oil-brushed plate. Add beaten eggs, minced meat, shrimp, and lettuce. Steam it over high heat for 1 minute, then use the scraper to take it out, put it on a plate, and add your own homemade sauce.

How to Enjoy: Different Rolls, Different Delights

Plain Steamed Vermicelli Roll: You can cut it into 6-centimeter-long pieces and put them on a plate, pour soy sauce on it, and sprinkle some cooked sesame seeds and scallions. Or cut it into 3-centimeter-long pieces and put them in a bowl, pouring thick beef brisket soup on it. It’s even better if there are some pieces of beef brisket.

Shrimp Steamed Vermicelli Roll: Usually, cut each roll into three pieces and fry them in a pan until the outer skin turns light yellow and hard. Put them on a plate and serve with a spicy sauce plate.

Beef Steamed Vermicelli Roll: Cut the roll into sections and put them on a small plate. Put two cooked bok choy on the side and pour soy sauce on it, and then you can enjoy it.

Nutritional Value and More: A Bite of Culture

Steamed vermicelli rolls are not only delicious but also nutritious. They are rich in protein, starch, trace elements, and vitamins. The new-style steamed vermicelli rolls, which combine fruits and Hong Kong-style cooking techniques, have even more visual appeal and nutrition.

This simple snack carries the Lingnan food culture. It’s a bridge for cultural exchanges between China and the world. For people in Guangdong, it’s not just food; it’s a childhood memory and a comfort of hometown feelings. So, if you ever get a chance, don’t miss out on trying this amazing steamed vermicelli roll!