It's Chinese New Year this weekend and we've been testing supermarket spring rolls to see how they compare.
It's the Year of the Rabbit and many stores are selling Chinese meal deals and treats for you to tuck into at home, if you don't fancy heading out for dinner or ordering a takeaway. Spring rolls are a popular appetiser for many Chinese food fans and you can pick up a packet for a low cost in the supermarkets.
This week, we headed to three of the big supermarkets - Aldi, Sainsbury's and Morrisons - to see how their Chinese spring rolls compared and you can read our verdict below. On Sunday, we'll be following Liverpool's Chinese New Year celebrations live so be sure to visit our website and social media channels to see all the best pictures and footage from the event - see the full timetable here.
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Aldi 6 pack of vegetable spring rolls
I’m a huge fan of spring rolls, but I don’t usually go for vegetable ones because I find them quite dry. I visited my local Aldi but could only see the vegetable spring rolls on the shelf at the time, so I thought I’d give them a try.
The pack comes with six generously sized spring rolls that looked stuffed with filling. Inside, they contained carrot, red pepper, cabbage, soy beans, water chestnuts and bean sprouts.
I whacked them in the oven for 12 minutes and they came out looking gloriously golden and crispy. The spring roll had a satisfying crunch, and the taste was incredible.
The vegetables inside were so juicy, seasoned with ginger, sesame oil and garlic. I actually preferred these vegetable ones to the meat ones I usually get!
Rating: 5/5
Price: £1.29
Where to buy: Your local Aldi store or online
Sainsbury's Vegetable Spring Rolls x4
I do like spring rolls but I'm one of those people who always burns their mouth, biting into them too soon. This four pack came out the oven looking crispy and smelling delicious, so you can guess what happened next.
The vegetable spring rolls are filled with carrots, red peppers, water chestnuts and bean sprouts, and seasoned with ginger and sesame oil. I know that because I read it on the packaging, but truth be told, I couldn't really get a lot of flavour from these all, even when the spring rolls had cooled down enough to eat.
The pastry was lovely and crisp, so I got that satisfying crunch when I bit in. They were also well packed with the shredded veg, so much so that some even spilled out as I ate them.
But overall they were just really lacking in flavour and they were also very greasy. The taste improved a bit with some added sweet chilli sauce (sold separately), but overall these were a disappointing purchase I'm afraid.
Rating: 2/5
Price: £2.10 and available as part of a £6.50 meal deal
Where to buy: Sainsbury's stores and online
Morrisons Vegetable Spring Rolls
I love spring rolls and usually pick some up to enjoy with a stir fry. I usually purchase mine from Morrisons and opt for a pack of four, which costs £1.99. These spring rolls take 16 minutes to cook in the oven and come out looking deliciously crispy.
I've had these many times and have never been disappointed. They taste incredible and are generously filled with shredded vegetables. The pastry has the right texture and is nice and crispy. I can't fault these spring rolls, they taste incredible and are a great addition to a meal. I'll definitely keep purchasing them.
Rating: 5/5
Price: £1.99
Where to buy: Morrisons stores or online
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