Origin of Spring Roll and Egg Roll
According to records, before the famous Tang Dynasty (from 618 – 907), every individual made a sort of thin pancake with flour on the day of 'the Arrival of Spring'. People started to put them in a dish and added some special vegetables and fresh fruits.
This was then called the 'spring dish' (in Chinese: 春盘). It was sent to relatives and close friends as a spring present & blessing. In the Chinese Tang Dynasty, the 'spring dish' was simply decorated with carrots & celery by the poor, while it had varieties of additions in the rich families.
There were special sauces, baked and salted meats, varieties of other fried dishes, and spinach, chives, beansprouts, bean vermicelli, & eggs. In the Song Dynasty, the 'delicious spring dish' served in the majestic imperial palace was even more luxurious.
In the Ming & Qing dynasties (from 1367 - 1911), with the development of cookery skills, chefs rolled the traditional old pancakes into mignon spring rolls.
They were not only loved by common people but were also popular in the palace. The exact history of the egg roll is not exactly clear. Some famous food historians believe the egg roll actually evolved from the spring roll, which is a bit smaller, lighter roll with a wrapper made of special rice paper.
They think the egg roll dates back to old times in the southern China region, where it developed as part of Cantonese food and cuisine.