Poh Pia Tod
ปอเปี๊ยะทอด
Poh Pia Tod are deep-fried spring rolls — crispy cylinders stuffed with glass noodles, vegetables, and minced pork, served with a sweet chilli dipping sauce.
Cultural Origin
Poh Pia Tod is the Thai version of a fried Chinese spring roll, introduced by Teochew and Hokkien migrants and standardized in Bangkok shophouses through the 20th century. The thin wheat skin is wrapped around glass noodles, vegetables, and minced pork, then deep-fried and served with a sweet plum or sweet chili sauce.
Allergens & Sensitivities
Key Ingredients
- spring roll wrappers
- glass noodles
- minced pork
- carrot
- cabbage
Taste profile
- Salty
- fish sauce, soy, shrimp paste
- Sweet
- palm sugar, coconut
- Sour
- lime, tamarind, fermentation
- Umami
- dried shrimp, fermented pastes, stock
The minced pork in the filling gives this version a more savoury depth than a vegetable-only spring roll, though the wrapper's crunch still dominates the first bite regardless of what is folded inside it.
How Poh Pia Tod Is Made
- 1
Cooking the filling
Minced pork is browned first, then glass noodles, shredded carrot and cabbage are stirred through and cooked down until most of the moisture has evaporated.
- 2
Cooling the filling
The cooked filling is spread out and cooled completely before rolling, since a hot filling would create steam inside the wrapper and cause it to split during frying.
- 3
Rolling tight
A measured spoonful is rolled into a tight cylinder rather than a loose one, since air pockets inside are what cause rolls to burst open in hot oil.
- 4
Sealing
The final edge is sealed with a paste of flour and water rather than left to hold on its own, ensuring the roll stays closed through the full fry.
- 5
Double-frying for crispness
Some vendors fry the rolls once at a lower temperature to cook the filling through, then again briefly at a higher temperature just before serving to maximise crunch.
When It’s Eaten
Served as a starter or shared snack rather than a standalone meal, almost always with a sweet chilli dip, and commonly bought several at a time to share across a table.
How to Order It
- ขอปอเปี๊ยะทอดหนึ่งที่
- kor por pia tod neung thi
- One order of fried spring rolls, please.
- ไม่ใส่ไข่
- mai sai khai
- No egg.
What people get wrong
Confusing an order of these with the fresh, unfried version sold at the same kinds of stalls; asking simply for por pia without specifying tod can result in the wrong texture arriving, since both are common enough that vendors do not always assume which one is meant.
Where to Try It
Ubiquitous at Thai street food stalls, night markets, and as a starter at every Thai restaurant.
Tips
- For the crispiest results, eat them within 5 minutes of frying — they soften quickly from steam.