Krupuk

Krupuk(Javanese)is anIndonesiandeep-friedcrackermade fromstarchand other ingredients that serve as flavouring. They are a popular snack in parts ofSoutheast Asia, but most closely associated withIndonesia.Kroepoekalso can be found in theNetherlands, through theirhistoric colonial tieswith Indonesia.
KrupukinJavanesemeans "fried side dish" (made of flour, mixed with other ingredients).The word was later absorbed into other languages and stylized according to local pronunciations. In Indonesia and the modern states ofBrunei,Malaysia,Thailand,Singapore, and thePhilippines,krupukis known under a general name with minor phonetic variations. It is called "kerupuk" in Indonesian, while in Malay, it is "keropok". In Dutch, it is "kroepoek" ("oe" being equivalent to "u"), which was also theoriginal spellingprior to the establishment of modern Indonesia and post-independencespelling reform.
The Javaneseonomatopoeiafor the sound of crunchy foods (kraukfor a big crunch;kriukfor a small crunch) is believed to have inspired the name. It might have also inspired the naming ofkripik, a different type of Javanese cracker.
According to culinary historian Fadly Rahman, krupuk had existed inJavasince the 9th or 10th century.It was written in the Batu Pura Inscription askrupuk rambak, which refers to crackers made from cow orbuffaloskin, that still exist today askrupuk kulit("skinkrupuk") and are usually used in aJavanese dishcalledkrechek. In its development, krupuk spread across thearchipelago, and the taste varies according to the ingredients. From Java, krupuk spread to various coastal areas ofKalimantan,Sumatra, to theMalay Peninsula.It is produced and consumed in various varieties and is an integral part of the national cuisines of several Southeast Asian countries.Kroepoekalso can be found in theNetherlands, through theirhistoric colonial tieswith Indonesia.
Today, krupuk has been one of the food-product export commodities of Indonesia, reaching foreign markets including Thailand, China, South Korea, the United States, Mexico, and the European Union.
To achieve maximum crunchiness, most of this pre-packed raw krupuk must be sun-dried first before being deep fried at home. To cook krupuk, a wok with plenty of high-temperature cooking oil is needed. A healthier, fatless version might be made by briefly pulsing the raw krupuk in the microwave oven: usually one minute at the medium (~700W) power is enough to successfully puff a handful of chips. Raw krupuk is quite small, hard, and darker in color than the cooked one.
Krupuk and kripik can be consumed alone as a snack or cracked and garnished on top of foods for a complementary, crisp texture. CertainIndonesian dishessuch asgado-gado,karedok,rujak,asinan,bubur ayamand certain kinds ofsotorequire a certain type of krupuk for toppings. It is an essential ingredient to makeseblak, a savoury-spicy dish made of boiled, wetkrupukcooked with protein (chicken, beef, or seafood), all in a spicy sauce.
Indonesia has perhaps the largest variety ofkrupuk.There are many variations on krupuk, many of which are made from starch with seafood (shrimp, fish, or squid), but occasionally with rice, fruits, nuts or vegetables; these variations are more usual in Southeast Asia.
In Malaysia, it is calledkeropokand associated with fish and seafood (those made with other foods than fish and seafood are calledkerepek). Varieties ofkeropokfound in MalaysiaKeropok kering,Keropoklekorand amplang.Keropok lekororiginated fromTerengganu, andAmplangis endemic to the coastal towns ofSempornaandTawauinSabah. Whilekeropok keringcan be found in most of the Malaysian states,Mukah town inSarawakalso historically known as a fishing town for the making ofkeropok.
Krupuk, most commonly spelt askropekandkropeckin the Philippines, is sometimes also referred to as "fish crackers", "prawn crackers" or less commonly as "fishchicharrón", which is technically fried fish skin. Some forms of chicharrón are made with non-animal sources such astapiocastarch and greenpeas, hence the term. It is debatable if the vegetarian, kropek-like "mock pork crackling" could be considered a form ofkropek, since there are a lot of similarities but also differences which make them two. These are sold atsari-sari storesin smaller portions as a light snack, as well as in bigger bags at local supermarkets and convenience stores.
Kropekis often eaten as anappetizer, with a vinegar and chili dipping sauce, sometimes as accompaniment at drinking sessions, or paired with a meal. There are a lot of local brands which sell different varieties ofkropek. Some of the more well-known brands in the Philippines are La La Fish Crackers andOishiprawn crackers, fish crackers, and fishkropeck. Oishi, a Philippines-based company that has expanded across Asia, is one of the biggest Filipino and Asian companies.
In Indonesia, major production centres ofkrupukare usually coastal fishing towns.SidoarjoinEast Java,CireboninWest Java,Karimun Jawaisland,Padang,PalembangandMedanin Sumatra,Bangka Island,SamarindaandPontianakin Kalimantan, andMakassarin Sulawesi are major producers of krupuk, and many recipes originate from there.
Some inland towns are also famous as krupuk production centres, such asBandung,GarutandMalang. Although they usually do not produce seafood-based krupuk as their coastal town counterparts. Most krupuk producers traditionally are modest home industries. However, today there is a dilemma among krupuk factories, whether to shift to automation through modern machinery but have to lay-off some of their workers, or continue producing in traditional ways but lack in producing capacity.
Most of the coastal towns in Malaysia such asMukah,Malacca Town,Pangkor IslandandLumutproducekeropokfrom large scale manufacturing to small scale home factories.