Freshly-made spring rolls stuffed with shepherd's purse. [Photo/Hai'an Integrated Media Center]

As the end of the year approaches, spring rolls stuffed with shepherd's purse are coming to dining tables across Hai'an, a county-level city in Nantong, Jiangsu province.

The just harvested shepherd's purse, with its fresh and tender texture and high nutritional value, is the most popular choice among Hai'an people when making spring roll fillings.

The cleaned shepherd's purse is chopped and mixed with pre-chopped meat, along with scallions, ginger, chicken essence, and an appropriate amount of light soy sauce, making for a fragrant spring roll filling.

A woman makes shepherd's purse spring rolls. [Photo/Hai'an Integrated Media Center]

The key to making golden and crispy spring rolls lies in the outer wrap. First, mix flour and water to form dough with a crumbly texture. Through repeated pressing and kneading, the dough gradually becomes soft and elastic.

Spread out a spring roll wrap, spoon the prepared filling onto one corner of the wrap evenly, and then fold from the bottom up. When you reach one-third of the way, fold in the sides of the wrap, continue rolling the wrap forward with your fingers, and when nearing the edge, dip your fingertips in a little water, moisten the edge of the wrap, and seal the spring roll into a long, flat oval shape.

Once the oil in the pan starts bubbling, place the spring rolls in one by one, using chopsticks to turn them several times to ensure even heating. When the outer layer is fried to a golden brown, remove them from the oil, drain the excess oil, and plate them.

Spring rolls are best enjoyed hot. With each bite, the savory juices of the meat and the fragrant shepherd's purse spread over the tongue. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, every bite seems to bring back the essence of spring between your lips and teeth.