Popiah Skin vs Tortilla: Which Wrap Has Fewer Calories?
A popiah skin looks a lot like a tortilla: a round, flat, flexible wheat wrapper you fill and roll. But the two are not close in calories. An 11-inch handmade popiah skin comes in at 56 kcal. A 10-inch flour tortilla, the kind used for a burrito, is typically 210 to 220 kcal. Same job, bigger wrapper, about a quarter of the calories.
Popiah skin vs tortilla vs wrap: calories compared
| Wrapper | Diameter | Calories per piece |
|---|---|---|
| Handmade popiah skin (Souperstar / Fortune Food) | 11 inch | 56 kcal |
| Flour tortilla (burrito size) | 10 inch | about 210 to 220 kcal |
| Flour tortilla (large) | 12 inch | about 290 to 320 kcal |
| Lavash or wrap bread | about 11 inch | about 200 to 250 kcal |
Our popiah skin figure is from laboratory testing of the skin we use in every roll. The tortilla and wrap figures are typical values for standard supermarket and restaurant products; individual brands vary, so check the label on yours.
Why popiah skin is so much lighter
It comes down to how much dough there is and what's in it.
- It's thinner than paper. Hand-rubbed popiah skin is less than 0.5 mm thick. A flour tortilla is several times that. Working back from the calories, a piece of popiah skin weighs roughly 18 to 20 g, against about 70 g for a 10-inch tortilla. Same surface area, about a third of the dough.
- No added fat. Popiah skin is wheat flour, water and salt. Most flour tortillas add oil, lard or shortening to keep them soft, which is where a good share of their calories comes from.
- It isn't fried or oiled. The skin is set on a dry hot griddle and eaten soft. Nothing is added after cooking.
Read more about how handmade popiah skin is made.
What that means for the whole roll
Because the wrapper is so light, almost all the calories in a popiah come from the filling, and that filling is mostly slow-cooked turnip and vegetables. A whole Traditional Popiah is 244 kcal, about the same as a single empty burrito tortilla before anything goes in it. Our fusion rolls, which carry more filling, stay between 285 and 313 kcal. See the full popiah calorie guide.
Is popiah skin a good low-calorie wrap?
Yes. If you like wraps but want to cut back, swapping a tortilla for a popiah skin saves around 150 kcal per wrap before you've changed anything else. It holds a full roll of filling without tearing, rolls tightly, and tastes faintly of toasted wheat rather than of nothing. The trade-off is that it's a fresh product: it's best eaten the day it's made and doesn't keep like a packaged tortilla.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use popiah skin instead of a tortilla at home?
Yes, for anything eaten fresh and unheated: wraps, rolls, cold fillings. It isn't suited to grilling or baking the way a tortilla is. Fortune Food sells fresh handmade popiah skin online in Singapore.
Is popiah skin the same as rice paper?
No. Rice paper is made from rice flour and is also low in calories, but it's brittle until soaked and has a different, chewy texture. Popiah skin is a soft wheat wrapper that's ready to use.
Is popiah skin vegan?
Yes. Wheat flour, water and salt only.
Want the lighter wrap, already rolled? Order from the Souperstar popiah range for next-day delivery across Singapore, or read what goes into a traditional popiah.
