Krupuk Udang
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Prawn crackers () are a
deep-fried Deep frying (also referred to as deep fat frying) is a cooking method in which food is submerged in hot fat, traditionally lard but today most commonly oil, as opposed to the shallow frying used in conventional frying done in a frying pan. N ...
snack made from
starch Starch or amylum is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants for energy storage. Worldwide, it is the most common carbohydrate in human diet ...
and
prawn Prawn is a common name for small aquatic crustaceans with an exoskeleton An exoskeleton () . is a skeleton that is on the exterior of an animal in the form of hardened integument, which both supports the body's shape and protects the intern ...
. They are a common snack food in
Southeast Asian cuisine This is a list of Asian cuisines, by region. A cuisine is a characteristic style of cooking practices and traditions, usually associated with a specific culture or region. Asia, being the largest, most populous and culturally diverse continent, ...
, but they are most closely associated with
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
. They have also been adapted into
East Asian cuisine This is a list of Asian cuisines, by region. A cuisine is a characteristic style of cooking practices and traditions, usually associated with a specific culture or region. Asia, being the largest, most populous and culturally diverse continent, ...
s, where the similar Japanese Kappa Ebisen () and Korean
Saeukkang Saeukkang (; also called Shrimp Cracker) is a South Korean snack produced by South Korean company Nongshim since 1971. Around 90g of prawn crackers (around 4-5 sheets) are packaged in parchment paper. History Name 'Saeu' translates to shr ...
are popular snacks.


History

According to the culinary historian Fadly Rahman, ''
krupuk ' (Javanese language, Javanese) is an Indonesian cuisine, Indonesian deep frying, deep-fried Cracker (food), cracker made from starch and other ingredients that serve as flavouring. They are a popular snack in parts of Southeast Asia, but are ...
'' (crackers) have been around in
Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
since the 9th or 10th century. The Batu Pura inscription mentions ''krupuk rambak'', which are crackers made from cow or buffalo skin, that still exist today as ''
krupuk kulit Krupuk kulit (; ; , 'skin crackers') is a traditional Indonesian cattle skin ''krupuk'' (cracker). It is traditionally made from the soft inner skin of cattle (cow or water buffalo) which is diced and sun-dried until it hardens and loses most o ...
'', and are usually used in the Javanese dish ''
krechek Krechek or krecek () or sambal goreng krechek is a traditional Javanese cattle skin spicy stew dish from Yogyakarta and Central Java, Indonesia. Traditionally it is made from the soft inner skin of cattle (cow or water buffalo), however, the most ...
''. Krupuk spread across the
archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands. An archipelago may be in an ocean, a sea, or a smaller body of water. Example archipelagos include the Aegean Islands (the o ...
, with varying ingredients, notably fish and prawn. From Java, krupuk spread to coastal areas of
Kalimantan Kalimantan (; ) is the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo. It constitutes 73% of the island's area, and consists of the provinces of Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, and West Kalimantan. The non-Ind ...
,
Sumatra Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of islands by area, sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi. ...
, to the
Malay Peninsula The Malay Peninsula is located in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area contains Peninsular Malaysia, Southern Tha ...
. The coastal peoples of Kalimantan and Sumatera later developed ''krupuk'' made 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 the
Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...
around 19th to early 20th century, and are considered as a complement to various Indonesian 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.


Preparation

Raw prawn cracker being sun-dried before frying Prawn crackers are made by mixing prawns,
tapioca flour Tapioca (; ) is a starch extracted from the tubers of the cassava plant (''Manihot esculenta,'' also known as manioc), a species native to the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, but which has now spread throughout parts of the world such ...
and 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 like
popcorn Popcorn (also called popped corn, popcorns, or pop-corn) is a variety of corn kernel which expands and puffs up when heated. The term also refers to the snack food produced by the expansion. It is one of the oldest snacks, with evidence of p ...
, 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 as
monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG), also known as sodium glutamate, is a sodium salt of glutamic acid. MSG is found naturally in some foods including tomatoes and cheese in this glutamic acid form. MSG is used in cooking as a flavor enhancer with a ...
(MSG) and artificial prawn flavourings to 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 a
microwave oven A microwave oven, or simply microwave, is an electric oven that heats and cooks food by exposing it to electromagnetic radiation in the microwave frequency range. This induces Dipole#Molecular dipoles, polar molecules in the food to rotate and ...
, 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.


Variations


Southeast Asia

Prawn cracker is called ''krupuk udang'' in
Indonesian Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to: * Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia ** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago ** Indonesian ...
, and is merely one variant of many sorts of ''
krupuk ' (Javanese language, Javanese) is an Indonesian cuisine, Indonesian deep frying, deep-fried Cracker (food), cracker made from starch and other ingredients that serve as flavouring. They are a popular snack in parts of Southeast Asia, but are ...
'' recognised in
Indonesian cuisine Indonesian cuisine is a collection of various regional culinary traditions by various ethnic groups that formed in the archipelagic nation of Indonesia. There are a wide variety of recipes and cuisines in part because Indonesia is composed ...
. In Indonesia, the term ''krupuk'' or ''kerupuk'' is used as an umbrella term to refer to this kind of cracker. Indonesia has perhaps the largest variety of ''krupuk''. ''Krupuk udang'' (prawn cracker) and other types of krupuk are ubiquitous in Indonesia. Examples of popular ''krupuk udang'' brands in Indonesia include Finna and Komodo brand. To achieve maximum crunchiness, most of this pre-packed raw ''krupuk udang'' must 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 of
Sidoarjo Sidoarjo Regency () is a regency in East Java, Indonesia. It is bordered by Surabaya City and Gresik Regency to the north, by Pasuruan Regency to the south, by Mojokerto Regency to the west, and by the Madura Strait to the east. It has a l ...
in
East Java East Java (, , ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the easternmost third of Java island. It has a land border only with the province of Central Java to the west; the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean border its northern ...
, also
Cirebon Cirebon (, formerly rendered Cheribon or Chirebon in English) is a port city on the northern coast of the Indonesian island of Java. It is the only coastal city of West Java, located about 40 km west of the provincial border with Central J ...
in
West Java West Java (, ) is an Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten and the country's capital region of Jakarta to t ...
, are major producers of krupuk udang. Prawn crackers are known as ''keropok'' in Malaysia. They are one of the most popular
snacks A snack is a small portion of food generally eaten between meals. Snacks come in a variety of forms including packaged snack foods and other processed foods, as well as items made from fresh ingredients at home. Traditionally, snacks are pre ...
in Malaysia and are particularly served at the homes of many during festive celebrations (such as Chinese New Year and
Hari Raya Eid al-Fitr () is the first of the two main festivals in Islam, the other being Eid al-Adha. It falls on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims worldwide because it marks the ...
). Prawn crackers are known as ''kropek'' (also spelled ''kropeck'') 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 (usually
tapioca flour Tapioca (; ) is a starch extracted from the tubers of the cassava plant (''Manihot esculenta,'' also known as manioc), a species native to the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, but which has now spread throughout parts of the world such ...
), powdered prawns or fish, various spices, and water. Unlike in Malaysia and Indonesia, ''kropek'' is typically only eaten as a snack or as appetizers (''pulutan'') accompanying alcohol, similar to chicharron. They are typically dipped in spicy vinegar-based sauces, most notably ''sinamak'' (a native spicy vinegar). ''Kropek'' has also been assimilated into
Filipino Chinese cuisine Filipino Chinese cuisine is a style of Filipino cuisine influenced by Chinese cuisine historically brought to the Philippines by Chinese Filipino, Chinese Filipinos, starting with the Sangley, Sangley Chinese and their Filipino Mestizos, Chines ...
, often being served as a side dish to some Chinese Filipino dishes.
Sa Đéc Sa Đéc is a Provincial city (Vietnam), Provincial city in Đồng Tháp Province in the Mekong Delta of southern Vietnam. It is a river port and agricultural and industrial trading center. The Sa Đéc economic zone consists of Châu Thành D ...
in southern Vietnam is the home of ''bánh phồng tôm''. The traditional snack is made of ground
shrimp A shrimp (: shrimp (American English, US) or shrimps (British English, UK)) is a crustacean with an elongated body and a primarily Aquatic locomotion, swimming mode of locomotion – typically Decapods belonging to the Caridea or Dendrobranchi ...
, sometimes mixed with
cuttlefish Cuttlefish, or cuttles, are Marine (ocean), marine Mollusca, molluscs of the order (biology), suborder Sepiina. They belong to the class (biology), class Cephalopoda which also includes squid, octopuses, and nautiluses. Cuttlefish have a unique ...
,
arrowroot Arrowroot is a starch obtained from the rhizomes (rootstock) of several tropical plants, traditionally ''Maranta arundinacea'', but also Florida arrowroot from ''Zamia integrifolia'', and tapioca from cassava (''Manihot esculenta''), which is of ...
flour,
tapioca Tapioca (; ) is a starch extracted from the tubers of the cassava plant (''Manihot esculenta,'' also known as manioc), a species native to the North Region, Brazil, North and Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast regions of Brazil, but which has ...
flour,
onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' , from Latin ), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion which was classifie ...
,
garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plants in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chives, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. Garlic is native to central and south Asia, str ...
,
sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...
,
fish sauce Fish sauce is a liquid condiment made from fish or krill that have been coated in salt and fermented for up to two years. It is used as a staple seasoning in East Asian cuisine and Southeast Asian cuisine, particularly Myanmar, Cambodia, L ...
, cracked
black pepper Black pepper (''Piper nigrum'') is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit (the peppercorn), which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit is a drupe (stonefruit) which is about in diameter ...
, and
salt In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...
.Giới thiệu qui trình công nghệ sản xuất bánh phồng tôm
in Vietnamese
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 (''gỏi'' and ''nộm''). The brand Sa Giang is well known. A variant is ''bánh phồng nấm'' flavoured with nấm hương (
shiitake The shiitake (; ''Chinese/black mushroom'' or ''Lentinula edodes'') is a macrofungus native to East Asia, which is cultivated and consumed around the globe. Taxonomy The fungus was first described scientifically as '' Agaricus edodes'' by ...
) or ''nấm rơm'' ( straw mushroom).


Chinese cuisine

In
Chinese cuisine Chinese cuisine comprises cuisines originating from Greater China, China, as well as from Overseas Chinese, Chinese people from other parts of the world. Because of the Chinese diaspora and the historical power of the country, Chinese 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 a
snack food A snack is a small portion of Human food, food generally Eating, eaten between meals. Snacks come in a variety of forms including Food packaging, packaged snack foods and other processed foods, as well as items made from fresh ingredients at ho ...
, but may accompany takeaway Chinese food in 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 as
white cut chicken White cut chicken or white sliced chicken () is a type of '' siu mei''. Unlike most other meats in the ''siu mei'' category, this particular dish is not roasted, but poached. The dish is common to the cultures of Southern China, including Gu ...
and
crispy fried chicken Crispy fried chicken () is a standard dish in the Cantonese cuisine of southern China and Hong Kong.39World.39World.com." ''炸子鸡.'' Retrieved on 2008-11-19. The chicken is fried in such a way that the skin is extremely crunchy, but the whi ...
).


The Netherlands

Through their historical colonial ties with Indonesia, the
Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...
are familiar with Indonesian foodstuffs including the Indonesian prawn crackers. Assorted types of ''krupuk'' (), deep fried crackers made from starch and flavourings, such as prawn or crab, are available in many ''Indische'', or ''
Indo INDO stands for Intermediate Neglect of Differential Overlap. It is a semi-empirical quantum chemistry method that is a development of the complete neglect of differential overlap (CNDO/2) method introduced by John Pople. Like CNDO/2 it uses zer ...
'', (Dutch-Indonesian) shops in the Netherlands, which locally are called ''
toko Toko is a small rural settlement 10 kilometres east of Stratford, New Zealand, at the intersection of East Road ( State Highway 43) and Toko Road. It is located on a railway, the Stratford–Okahukura Line, the western portion of which was o ...
''. Prawn crackers are also available in many of the major supermarkets. ''Kroepoek'' is a standard part of the repertoire of "Indische" (a word referring to the former
Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...
, present day
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
; not to be confused with the Dutch word ''Indiaas'', meaning "from India") restaurants in the Netherlands. It is also served in
Chinese restaurant A Chinese restaurant is a restaurant that serves Chinese cuisine. Most of them are in the Cantonese cuisine, Cantonese style, due to the history of the Overseas Chinese, Chinese diaspora, though other Chinese regional cuisine, regional cuisin ...
s in Belgium and in the Netherlands.


See also

*
Fish cracker A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fins and a hard skull, but lacking limbs with digits. Fish can be grouped into the more basal jawless fish and the more common jawed fis ...
*
Kabkab Kabkab, also known as cassava cracker or cassava crisp, is a traditional Filipino disc-shaped wafer made from ground cassava. It originates from the southern Philippines, but is most closely associated with the cuisine of Mindanao and the so ...
* Kiping *
Krupuk kulit Krupuk kulit (; ; , 'skin crackers') is a traditional Indonesian cattle skin ''krupuk'' (cracker). It is traditionally made from the soft inner skin of cattle (cow or water buffalo) which is diced and sun-dried until it hardens and loses most o ...
, a food of similar texture and appearance made of beef skin *
List of deep fried foods This is a list of deep fried foods and dishes. Deep frying is a cooking method in which food is submerged in hot fat, such as cooking oil. This is normally performed with a deep fryer or chip pan, and industrially, a pressure fryer or vacuum f ...


References

{{shrimps and prawns as food Animal-based seafood Burmese cuisine Chinese seafood dishes Deep fried foods Hong Kong cuisine Indonesian snack foods Malaysian cuisine Filipino cuisine Shrimp dishes Southeast Asian cuisine Vietnamese cuisine Thai desserts and snacks