Turon — banana-jackfruit spring rolls
Turon is the canonical Filipino fried banana spring roll — saba bananas with slivers of ripe jackfruit, rolled in brown sugar, wrapped in lumpia wrappers, and deep-fried so the wrapper crisps and the sugar caramelises. It is sold from every Filipino street cart and as merienda everywhere.
i. Origin & history
Turon emerged as a popular Filipino street snack in the 20th century. The pairing of saba banana and jackfruit is the canonical combination, although versions with mango, ube, or chocolate are now common.
ii. Ingredients
Makes 8 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust
- 8 spring-roll wrappers
- 4 saba bananas, halved lengthwise
- 100 g muscovado sugar
- 60 g ripe jackfruit, in strips
- 1 litre oil for frying
- 100 g muscovado sugar (for re-glazing in oil)
iii. Method
- Roll each banana half in muscovado sugar. Place on a wrapper with a few jackfruit strips. Roll up tightly into a slim cigar; seal with water.
- Heat oil to 170 °C. Fry 2-3 min.
- Sprinkle 1 tbsp brown sugar into the oil per turon — it caramelises and coats the wrapper in dark golden glaze.
- Lift out; drain briefly; eat warm.
iv. Tips & common mistakes
- Use the freshest ingredients you can. The recipe relies on them.
- Read the method through first. Several steps must be ready in advance.
- Season patiently. Sweetness and salt are tuned at the end, not the start.
v. Variations
Same as banana lumpia with a more emphatic sugar glaze. Ube turon includes purple-yam jam. Chocolate turon uses a chocolate bar. Mango turon uses ripe mango.
vi. Common questions
What is turon?
Turon is banana-jackfruit spring rolls, from filipino cuisine. It is sold from every Filipino street cart and as merienda everywhere
Where is turon from?
Turon is from the filipino dessert tradition; the recipe and history are detailed above.
How long does turon keep?
See the storage note in the Quick facts panel: Eat fresh.