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cebu ngohiong

Ngohiong Recipe (Cebu’s Crispy Lumpia)

Ngohiong is a famous street food from Cebu that is described as a crispy Filipino spring roll with a delicious Chinese-inspired flavor. It is filled with vegetables and pork seasoned with Chinese five-spice powder, wrapped in lumpia wrapper, dipped in batter, then deep-fried . Unlike regular lumpia, Ngohiong has a savory aroma from the five-spice seasoning and is served with a dipping sauce. It instantly reminds me of Cebu sidewalks with the smell of freshly fried street food.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Snack, Street Food
Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 to 4 cups ubod julienned
  • 1 medium singkamas julienned
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 medium onion minced
  • 1 bundle green onions chopped
  • 3 tablespoons Chinese five-spice powder
  • Cooking oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
For the Batter
  • 2 cups cornstarch
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • 3 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper powder
  • Lumpia wrappers
For the Dipping Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
  • 5 tablespoons water
  • ½ teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 egg white lightly beaten

Method
 

  1. Heat a little oil in a pan. Sauté the garlic and onion until fragrant.
  2. Add the ground pork and cook until lightly browned. Pour in ¼ cup water and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
  3. Add the Chinese five-spice powder, ubod, singkamas, and green onions. Cook for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Drain excess oil and let the filling cool.
  4. In a bowl, combine cornstarch, water, paprika, and white pepper powder to make the batter.
  5. Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of a lumpia wrapper. Fold the sides inward and roll tightly. Seal the edge with water.
  6. Heat oil over medium-low heat. Dip each wrapped Ngohiong into the batter, then carefully deep fry until golden brown and crispy.
  7. For the sauce, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, five-spice powder, water, and cornstarch in a saucepan. Simmer while stirring until smooth.
  8. Slowly pour in the egg white while whisking gently to create thin egg strands. Let the sauce cool slightly before serving with the crispy Ngohiong.

Notes

I chose ubod and singkamas because they give Ngohiong its signature crunch without making the filling too heavy. The ground pork adds richness and flavor, while the green onions keep everything aromatic. Chinese five-spice powder is the star ingredient because it gives Ngohiong its authentic Cebuano taste.
For the batter, cornstarch creates a crispy coating that stays crunchy longer compared to regular flour batter. The dipping sauce balances everything out perfectly with sweet, savory, and spiced flavors.

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