tis the season to be garlicky

There is nothing more chinese filipino than fresh lumpia. The current local incarnation comes with that garlic flavored sweet sauce. Filipinos are a very saucy people for some reason, siopao with sauce, siomai with sauce and etc. The local Chinese can't help but get suck into the sauce mania. Thus, enter the traditional Chinese fresh lumpia with garlic sweet sauce.

As far back as I can remember, my family has prepared lumpia during the first few months of the year. Possibly due to the abundance of cheaper vegetables of which the dish is primarily composed of. Also because of the appearance of one essential herb/vegetable which is available only during the colder months of the year, Green Garlic. It is the young garlic plant before it matures into garlic bulbs which we commonly see. Green garlic is what imparts that aroma that defines a good Chinese lumpia. Most commercial establishments usually substitute ground garlic as it is readily available all year round. They also omit certain ingredients to cut on costs. Nevertheless, next time that you see fresh lumpia with garlic sweet sauce, you'll know that you are in the Philippines.