Prawn cracker

Prawn crackers(Indonesian:krupuk udang) are adeep-friedsnack made fromstarchandprawn. They are a common snack food inSoutheast Asian cuisine, but they are most closely associated withIndonesia. They have also been adapted intoEast Asian cuisines,where the similarJapanesekappa ebisen(かっぱえびせん)  andKoreansaeukkangare popular snacks.
According to the culinary historian Fadly Rahman,krupuk(crackers) have been around inJavasince the 9th or 10th century.The Batu Pura inscription mentionskrupuk rambak, which are crackers made from cow or buffalo skin, that still exist today askrupuk kulit, and are usually used in theJavanese dishkrechek. Krupuk spread across thearchipelago, with varying ingredients, notably fish and prawn. From Java, krupuk spread to coastal areas ofKalimantan,Sumatra, to theMalay Peninsula.The coastal peoples of Kalimantan and Sumatera later developedkrupukmade of prawn and fish to make use of leftover sea products.Prawn crackers began to be adopted in foreign countries in the colonial era of theDutch East Indiesaround 19th to early 20th century, and are considered as a complement to variousIndonesian specialties.The idea of eating food with prawn crackers was brought by Dutch colonials to the Netherlands.
According to British chef Will Meyrick, krupuk crackers that use prawns appeared in the Malay peninsula in the 16th century. Legend there states that leftover, crushed prawn heads from a feast were used to make prawn crackers.
Prawn crackers are made by mixing prawns,tapioca flourand water. The mixture is rolled out, steamed, and sliced. Traditionally, to achieve maximum crispiness, raw crackers are usually sun-dried first before frying, to eliminate the moisture. Once dry, they are deep-fried in oil (which must be at high heat before cooking). In only a few seconds they expand from thumb-sized semi-transparent wafers to white fluffy crackers, much likepopcorn, as water bound to the starch expands as it turns into steam.
If left in the open air for more than a few hours (depending on humidity), they start to soften and become chewy and are therefore ideally consumed within a few hours of being fried. Storing the crackers in a low-humidity environment or an airtight container will preserve the crispness for longer.
Prawn crackers of premium quality are aromatic even without additives such asmonosodium glutamate(MSG) and artificial prawnflavouringsto enhance the smell and taste.
The fried prawn crackers may be stored in an airtight container for up to three months without preservatives and up to about nine months depending on the amount of preservatives added.
Most varieties of prawn crackers can also be prepared in amicrowave oven, in which a few discs can be cooked in less than a minute. This will usually cause them to cook and expand in a way similar to when they are deep-fried. For small quantities, this method is faster and less messy, as the crackers do not become as oily. However, this may cause the cracker to retain a stronger aroma of raw shrimp and the cracker has to be consumed within hours before it softens and loses its crispness.
Prawn cracker is calledkrupuk udanginIndonesian, and is merely one variant of many sorts ofkrupukrecognised inIndonesian cuisine. In Indonesia, the termkrupukorkerupukis used as an umbrella term to refer to this kind of cracker. Indonesia has perhaps the largest variety ofkrupuk.
Krupuk udang(prawn cracker) and other types of krupuk are ubiquitous in Indonesia. Examples of popularkrupuk udangbrands in Indonesia include Finnaand Komodo brand.To achieve maximum crunchiness, most of this pre-packed rawkrupuk udangmust be sun-dried first before being deep-fried at home. To cook krupuk, a wok and plenty of very hot cooking oil is needed. Raw krupuk is quite small, hard, and darker in color than cooked ones.Fishing towns ofSidoarjoinEast Java, alsoCireboninWest Java, are major producers of krupuk udang.
Prawn crackers are known askeropokin Malaysia. They are one of the most popularsnacksin Malaysia and are particularly served at the homes of many during festive celebrations (such as Chinese New Year andHari Raya).
Prawn crackers are known askropek(also spelledkropeck) in the Philippines, or by their English names "prawn crackers" or "fish crackers" (especially in mass-produced commercial versions). They are traditionally made from flour (usuallytapioca flour), powdered prawns or fish, various spices, and water. Unlike in Malaysia and Indonesia,kropekis typically only eaten as a snack or as appetizers (pulutan) accompanying alcohol, similar tochicharron. They are typically dipped in spicy vinegar-based sauces, most notablysinamak(a native spicy vinegar).Kropekhas also been assimilated intoFilipino Chinese cuisine, often being served as a side dish to some Chinese Filipino dishes.
Sa Đécin southern Vietnam is the home ofbánh phồng tôm. The traditional snack is made of groundshrimp, sometimes mixed withcuttlefish,arrowrootflour,tapiocaflour,onion,garlic,sugar,fish sauce, crackedblack pepper, andsalt.Traditionally the dough is steamed, rolled out, cut into round chips then dried. Another method is to form rolls, steam, and then slice into thin rounds before being dried. Modern production favours oval shapes such that the chips form a "scooper" as an accompaniment to salads (gỏiandnộm). The brand Sa Giang is well known.
A variant isbánh phồng nấmflavoured with nấm hương (shiitake) ornấm rơm(straw mushroom).
InChinese cuisine, prawn crackers may use food colouring (including shades of white, pale pink, green and blue), and tend to be lighter and non-spicy. However, in China they are easy to find in supermarkets, yet not popular or common in restaurants or when serving food for friends.
Prawn crackers are considered asnack food, but may accompanytakeaway Chinese foodin Australia, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. Shrimp chips are usually served with roasted chicken dishes in Chinese restaurants overseas (such aswhite cut chickenandcrispy fried chicken).
Through theirhistorical colonial tieswith Indonesia, theDutchare familiar with Indonesian foodstuffs including the Indonesian prawn crackers. Assorted types ofkrupuk(Dutch:kroepoek), deep fried crackers made from starch and flavourings, such as prawn or crab, are available in manyIndische, orIndo, (Dutch-Indonesian) shops in the Netherlands, which locally are calledtoko. Prawn crackers are also available in many of the major supermarkets.Kroepoekis a standard part of the repertoire of "Indische" (a word referring to the formerDutch East Indies, present dayIndonesia; not to be confused with the Dutch wordIndiaas, meaning "from India") restaurants in the Netherlands. It is also served inChinese restaurantsin Belgium and in the Netherlands.