Chinese-Cebuano · Five-Spice Roll
Ngohiong
Photo: Obsidian Soul / Wikimedia Commons · CC0 1.0
It's named after Hokkien ngo hiang, but the Cebu version swaps the original's beancurd-skin wrapper for a thin lumpia wrapper and fills it mostly with shredded heart of palm or jicama rather than minced meat.
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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