What’s next for ‘popiah’? A look at the bold fillings Malaysians are experimenting with

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 19 — “Popiah” or spring rolls are a famous snack in South-east Asia, with origins in Chinese cuisine.

Most recently, the snack — in both is unfried or “wet” version, and the crispy deep fried version called choon piah — were included in the list of Malaysia’s heritage foods.

In Malaysia, popiah can easily be found almost anywhere – from any local night markets or roadside kuih vendors to shopping malls and supermarkets.

Usually, it would be stuffed with cooked shredded jicama and carrots, sometimes with minced meat. A spicy sauce would either be slathered inside, on top, or provided on the side. There are also versions with fillings similar to karipap or samosas.

But over the years, Malaysians have come up with various types and fillings as a way to keep abreast with trends and consumers. Here are some of them:

1. Satay popiah

Probably the trendiest version in the last few years, the popiah as the name implies, contain satay meat wrapped inside the skin.

Just like the grilled skewers, the meat is marinated with lemongrass, turmeric, coriander and cumin, among others.

And just like the skewers, this version is best serve dipped with the spicy and earthy kuah kacang, or peanut sauce.

2. Popiah otak-otak

“Otak” in the Malay language means brain, but the otak-otak on the other hand, is a very delicious traditional delicacy famous in states such as Johor, Terengganu and Pahang.

It is usually made with fish paste blended together with a variety of spices before being formed into a reddish-orange fish cake. This would either be wrapped in banana leaves before being grilled, or just steamed.

Put that otak-otak paste inside the popiah skin, and you’ve got one addictive bite-sized snack.

3. Popiah satar

Satar is similar to otak-otak, although more popular in the East Coast states.

The ingredient of the fish paste however differs, tasting more pristine without much spices, and flavoured with grated coconut and chopped cili padi instead.

Would you prefer a popiah with otak-otak or satar inside? Sometimes the answer is a simple “yes”.

4. Popiah carbonara

We are now entering the more innovative versions of popiah in Malaysia, with the first one being the creamy popiah carbonara.

Yes, it is fried popiah with creamy but a bit chunky carbonara sauce inside, filled with mushrooms and chicken or beef bits.

5. ‘Popis’ or popiah pisang

Taking a rather different taste route than the others is the “popis” with a sweet filling instead.

Unlike the savoury tastes of other fried popiahs, popis which started garnering popularity between 2021 and 2022 in Malaysia is better served as a dessert.

The fillings of the fried popiah are replaced by banana and it is further sweetened with swirls of chocolate syrups on top while some vendors would also offer cheese as toppings.

6. Popiah... Big Mac??

Dapoq Pdot is a local content creator with over 300,000 followers on Instagram who often shares food recipes on trendy local and international cuisines, all narrated in his Kedahan accent and hilarious English subtitles.

The man pushed the boundaries of popiah recently this month with his spin on popiah Big Mac, inspired by the burger of the same name from famous fast food franchise McDonalds.

The filling is made using minced meat marinated with the iconic Big Mac sauce which some interpreted as similar to Thousand Island sauce — a combination of mayonnaise, mustard, chilli powder and tomato ketchup.

You can also serve the Big Mac sauce for dipping, with him replacing the filling with minced meat marinated with Sriracha chilli sauce resulting in a more tangy and savoury taste.

7. Bonus: The most expensive popiah

Although this is not considered as a type of popiah, however it deserves a mention of its own just because of its luxurious nature alone.

Priced at RM2,888 and considered as the most expensive popiah in Malaysia, the dish is the result of a collaboration between local fine dining restaurant Nimbus Restaurant and second generation popiah franchise from Ipoh, Bibi Popiah.

The one-of-a-kind popiah consists of two Alaskan king crab legs that have been lightly steamed, torched spring onions and deep-fried cordyceps flowers coated in truffle oil and a special secret sauce. It is then topped with Osetra Caviar from France along with a 24-carat edible gold leaf from Italy.

The menu was introduced during a special event between Nimbus Restaurant and Bibi’s Popiah in November last year.