Chinese-Cebuano · Five-Spice Roll
Ngohiong
Photo: Obsidian Soul / Wikimedia Commons · CC0 1.0
It's named after a Hokkien dish it barely resembles anymore — ngohiong looks and tastes far closer to a Filipino lumpia than to its five-spice Chinese namesake.
Ground pork or shrimp is mixed with five-spice powder, garlic, and julienned jicama or heart of palm, rolled into a thin wrapper, and deep-fried until the crust turns brittle and golden. Street vendors around Cebu City slice it into rounds and serve it with a sweet-and-sour or spicy chili dip.
Why it's made this way: It descends from Hokkien Chinese ngo hiang, adapted over generations by Cebu's Chinese-Filipino community until the filling and wrapper drifted toward native lumpia style, distinct from the kikiam sold elsewhere in the country.
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Part of World of Street Food — 3248 dishes from 118 countries.
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