While the adobo still holds the throne as the most popular Pinoy dish, the humble lumpia is carving out a name for itself in the hearts and palates of foodies from around the world.
Technically, the lumpia - like most Filipino food - is not a native delicacy per se.
Lumpiang Shanghai or simply lumpia is universally known as spring roll, which is believed to have originated from China before finding its way on the tables of neighboring Asian countries.
Today, spring roll and its many varieties can be found in Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Europe, Latin America, India, Pakistan, among many others.
What's nice about the spring roll is that it is easy to make and adaptable. Anyone can come up with his or her own variety based on available ingredients and a country's food culture.
Certainly, we managed to put our signature stamp on the dish enough to call it our own. Lumpiang Shanghai is a fried spring roll made with ground pork, vegetables, and other ingredients, rolled in flour-based crepe-like wrapper. It has become a staple in Filipino parties and gatherings that a get-together would feel incomplete without the presence of lumpia.
We've seen many foreigners, including international celebrities, raving about the Pinoy-style spring roll or lumpia.
That's not surprising, of course, considering that Filipinos are everywhere and it's only natural that local dishes will be passed around in the community regardless of race and preference.
Hollywood star Florence Pugh knows this by heart, saying on social media recently, “I grew up eating lumpia and would literally count down the days until I'd eat it again.”
Her Instagram story was accompanied by a photo of lumpia and has been shared by fans and Pinoy followers online.
So with that, here are some of the Hollywood celebrities who couldn't get enough of that tasty lumpia.
The Midsommar and Little Women star was introduced to the Filipino delicacy through a Filipino friend.
“My best friend was half Filipino and her mum was a master at cooking. She knew I loved them and would make a batch, freeze them, package them up for me to take home after our sleepover.”
She also hinted at making lumpia for her next cooking tutorial video. We can't wait to see that for sure.
In a 2014 interview to promote her film The Other Woman, Hollywood actress Cameron Diaz professed her love for Filipino food.
“My best friend that I grew up next door to, her mother is from the Philippines. The lumpia and adobo, I ate it every single day,” she said.
“[I ate] rice all the time. Her mom made the best rice. I would just go over to the house and open up the fridge because her mom would make stacks of lumpia and I would just like to go in there. I just go and let myself in…fry up some lumpia.”
The Filipino-American star of Disney's 'Highschool Musical' and 'Driver's License' grew up in a traditional Pinoy household in the US.
"My great-grandfather immigrated here from the Philippines when he was just a teenager. He's my grandma's dad, and my grandpa is also Filipino as well,” she told the Center for Asian American Media.
“My dad grew up in a house where they were always making Filipino food, his grandpa always spoke Tagalog. All of those traditions have trickled down to our generation. Every Thanksgiving we have lumpia, and things like that.”
“It's not Christmas without lumpia and pancit,” the Fil-Am Hollywood actress told Cata Tibayan of '24 Oras.'
'The Princess Switch,' 'Second Act,' and 'Bad Boys for Life' star also counts halo-halo and adobo as her other favorite Pinoy delicacies.
“I used to be obsessed with adobo but I stopped eating meat. Now, no more chicken adobo for me but I do miss it,” she said though recently.
“I am such a Filipino--I eat rice every day,” Vanessa laughed in a separate interview back in 2008.
American rapper Cardi B was obviously captivated by lumpia that she couldn't contain her excitement on Instagram in May last year.
"I don't know what the f*** this s*** called but this s*** good as hell with some m*****f****** barbecue sauce," Cardi said quite overly enthusiastic.
And if that's not enough, the New York-native described the dish as “good as hell.”
We get it, Ms. Cardi.
Having a Filipino for a personal chef and Pinoy friends around her circle exposed the Hollywood superstar to the beloved delicacy.
“Lumpia or adobo. It's all food. I have many friends in America that are Filipino and so, they would make it for me,” Drew confided to 'Unang Hirit' co-host Lyn Ching in 2018.
Drew invited her chef, Pilar Valdes, to grace the 'Drew Barrymore Show' in October last year. The two dished out a healthy quinoa risotto dish. How about a healthy lumpia variation soon on the show? That will be amazing!
“Goin back to the Philippines... Sweet! So pumped! Wonder if they'll serve lumpia on the plane...” the Fil-Am actor wrote on Twitter back in December 2010.
Darren is a Fil-Am, with his mother a native of Cebu.
The 33-year-old actor-singer gained fame as part of the TV series 'Glee' and 'The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story' where he portrayed serial killer Andrew Cunanan.
American rapper Earl Stevens a.k.a. E-40 loves lumpia so much that he invested money to be a co-owner of The Lumpia Company, a food outlet located in San Francisco and Oakland in the US.
“Being from Vallejo, California, my surroundings were from all walks of life, very diverse,” the East Bay rap legend told Eater San Francisco in an interview.
“Filipinos were a big part of Vallejo's community... some of my best friends [were] Filipino. I ate lumpia with the kids I grew up around, and it became one of my favorite dishes of all time.”
Consuming lumpia runs in the blood of 'American Idol Season 11' first runner-up, Jessica Sanchez.
After all, the singer is part Filipino and grew up in a household that screams of Pinoy traditions.
Want proof? In a 2012 interview, Jessica proudly told reporters: “I could eat lumpia and pancit every day.”
The American actor-comedian credits his wife, Filipino-American model-actress Steffiana Dela Cruz, for introducing him to Pinoy culture.
The lumpia and the food and this and that from the family is just doing wonders for my figure and I love it!" he joked in 2015.
Kevin appeared in the movies 'Grown Ups,' 'Zookeeper,' 'Here Comes the Boom,' and 'Pixels.'
Vietnamese-born American actress Lana Condor recently told Nelson Canlas of '24 Oras' how her love for lumpia started.
“One of my close friends in high-school is Filipino and her mom would always make lumpia just [for her] to take to school,” she smilingly recalled.
The star of the Netflix hit series, 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before,' continued, “So I became so obsessed that I would force my friend to force her mother to make me my own private batch [of lumpia].
Moving to Los Angeles from Virginia in his 20s made it inevitable for Ross to mingle into the large Filipino community in the area.
“I have a lot of Filipino friends,” he mentioned during a chat with Nelson Canlas.
“We'd get Filipino food up in San Francisco and I love it. Lumpia [is] one of my favorite Filipino food.”