Roll up, roll up! Permission to snack

When is a snack a gift? When it's all wrapped up and ready to roll.

Chargrilled eggplant and feta rolls Source: James Murphy

There's no contest that the best snacks around are presented as a precious gift. Little morsels, wrapped up tight, ready to grab and go.

You can use pastry, bread, leafy greens, dough or rice paper to wrap your presents. What you choose to put inside is entirely up to you, but generations of cooks across every culture have left a gift list worth replicating. Sausage rolls, spring rolls, rice paper rolls, cabbage rolls - every one of them makes a snack that hits the spot.

That's because, no matter where they originated from, rolled-up things are flavour bombs, combining different elements in one superb little parcel.

Make an occasion of it and double or even triple your recipe. That way you can roll out the joy and give an actual present to grateful friends. Or pop your rolls in a container uncooked and freeze them for another day. After all, the gifts you give yourself are the finest of all.

The vego special

Turn this snack into lunch by adding a green salad - it's a good excuse to eat at least three rolls... Source: Alan Benson

Feta cheese, spinach and pine nuts can only add up to one thing: Middle Eastern heaven. This is a recipe you'll want to double and then double again.

The classic snag rolls

Using frozen puff pastry makes sausage roll making a breeze. Source: Adam Liaw

Everyone's mother has a sausage roll recipe to share, and this one is from Joel Creasey's mum. She adds chopped salami to bump up the flavour. What does your mum add? See below for a few options... there's plenty more here.

The kofta mash-up

Hack your rolls with a touch of baharat. Source: Adam Liaw

Putting kofta inside puff pastry is an act of fusion genius.

The clever quinoa

These rolls are filled with lots of good-for-you veggies, pulses, grains and seeds, so they're great for kids who aren’t so fond of their veggies. Source: Hardie Grant Books / Lisa Cohen

We could stay on variations of the saus roll forever, but that's already been done (find it here). However, we couldn't leave the puff train without adding this nutrition-packed quinoa carriage. You're most welcome.

The sushi way

Crabmeat, cucumber and avocado is the filling of choice in a classic California roll. Source: Richo's Bar Snacks

Nori-wrapped rice with added goodies will always be a welcome present. You can mix and match sushi to suit your tastebuds, which makes it an excellent option for feeding a crowd. You'll soon get the hang of the bamboo mat rolling technique.

The hand-rolled version

The cone-shaped sushi is everyone's friend. Source: Destination Flavour Japan

If the bamboo mat feels like hard work, you can always hand-roll your sushi. It's the preferred method for Japanese families when they're at home, too. You lay out all the fillings and everyone can help themselves.

The Korean take

Gimbap makes great picnic or lunchbox food. Source: Billy Law

Gimbap is the Korean way to make sushi. It's the same short-grain sticky rice, but filled with Korean flavours like danmuji (pickled radish) and burdock root. You could also make a chilli and kimchi version to really knock your snack for six.

The spring special

Add your crispy spring rolls to a Vietnamese noodle salad and weep tears of foodie joy. Source: One World Kitchen

Spring rolls are akin to sausage rolls in that every family has a best-ever version. This is a Vietnamese classic fried spring roll that packs an abundance of flavour into its small, crunchy package.

The lacy rift

How to impress your guests in one easy food tin modification... Source: Andrew Dorn

Khanh Ong adds a bit of lace to his spring roll wrapping, making it extra crunchy and very pretty. There's a drill bit involved in the making of these, but trust us, it will be worth it.

The traditional rolling spring

Spring rolls resemble gold bars, signifying wealth and prosperity. Source: Macau Gourmet with Justine Schofield

Pack it with crab, pack it with pork, pack it with prawns - or pack it with all three. The beauty is in getting as much flavour as you can inside a crunchy golden roll.

The fresh one

Fresh rice paper rolls make the most of seasonal herbs. Source: The Good Cooks

There's something of a Vietnamese rice paper roll fad engulfing our nation right now. There's a good reason for that: these are some very tasty rolls. You can make your own at home with ease and most of the ingredients are on the shelves in your supermarket.

The European stuff

Wrap and roll your way through Europe. Source: Tammi Kwok

Versions of cabbage rolls abound all over Europe and sarma is the Serbian recipe. Pickle your cabbage leaves, then stuff them with a spicy mince mix before devouring like a hungry wolf. No exaggeration - they are that moreish.

The fishy Italian

Naturally, passata is involved. Source: Paola Bacchia

Italy also loves a cabbage roll, generally stuffed with fish and cooked in a rich tomato sauce. Involtini is the kind of dish you'll make one Sunday and then it will become a Sunday thing forevermore.

The cabbage surprise

Cabbage rolls have been adopted by Japan as part of yoshoku – Western food that has become part of the Japanese diet. Source: Ben Ward

Even cabbage shirkers will love this Japanese take on the Eastern European favourite.

The vegetable roll-up

Serve these lovely cheesy rolls at room temperature as part of a mezze. Source: James Murphy

These eggplant and feta rolls prove that simple is often best when it comes to rocking your rolling.