Krupuk Explained

Krupuk
Alternate Name:Kerupuk, keropok
Country:Indonesia[1] [2]
Region:Java
Course:Snack
Served:Room temperature
Main Ingredient:Starch, animal proteins, vegetables.
Variations:Different variations according to ingredients

Javanese: Krupuk (Javanese) is an Indonesian deep fried crackers made from starch and other ingredients that serve as flavouring. They are a popular snack in parts of Southeast Asia, but most closely associated with Indonesia.[3] Kroepoek also can be found in the Netherlands, through their historic colonial ties with Indonesia.[4]

Etymology

Krupuk in Javanese means "fried side dish" (made of flour, mixed with other ingredients).[5] The word was later absorbed into other languages and stylized according to local pronunciations. In Indonesia and the modern states of Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines, krupuk is known under a general name with minor phonetic variations. It is called "Indonesian: kerupuk" in Indonesian, while in Malay, it is "". In Dutch, it is "" ("oe" being equivalent to "u"), which was also the original spelling prior to the establishment of modern Indonesia and post-independence spelling reform.

The Javanese onomatopoeia for the sound of crunchy foods (krauk for a big crunch; kriuk for a small crunch) is believed to have inspired the name. It might have also inspired the naming of kripik, a different type of Javanese cracker.

History

According to culinary historian Fadly Rahman, krupuk had existed in Java since the 9th or 10th century.[2] It was written in the Batu Pura Inscription as krupuk rambak, which refers to crackers made from cow or buffalo skin, that still exist today as krupuk kulit ("skin krupuk") and are usually used in a Javanese dish called krechek. In its development, krupuk spread across the archipelago, and the taste varies according to the ingredients. From Java, krupuk spread to various coastal areas of Kalimantan, Sumatra, to the Malay Peninsula.[2] It is produced and consumed in various varieties and is an integral part of the national cuisines of several Southeast Asian countries. Kroepoek also can be found in the Netherlands, through their historic colonial ties with Indonesia.[6]

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.[7]

Preparation and consumption

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.[8]

Krupuk and kripik can be consumed alone as a snack or cracked and garnished on top of foods for a complementary, crisp texture. Certain Indonesian dishes such as gado-gado, karedok, rujak, asinan, bubur ayam and certain kinds of soto require a certain type of krupuk for toppings. It is an essential ingredient to make seblak, a savoury-spicy dish made of boiled, wet krupuk cooked with protein (chicken, beef, or seafood), all in a spicy sauce.[9]

Types

Indonesia

Indonesia has perhaps the largest variety of krupuk.[10] 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.

Malaysia

In Malaysia, it is called keropok and associated with fish and seafood (those made with other foods than fish and seafood are called kerepek). Varieties of keropok found in Malaysia Keropok kering, Keropok lekor and amplang. Keropok lekor originated from Terengganu, and Amplang is endemic to the coastal towns of Semporna and Tawau in Sabah. While keropok kering can be found in most of the Malaysian states,[19] Mukah town in Sarawak also historically known as a fishing town for the making of keropok.[20]

Philippines

Krupuk, most commonly spelt as kropek and kropeck in the Philippines, is sometimes also referred to as "fish crackers", "prawn crackers" or less commonly as "fish chicharrón", which is technically fried fish skin. Some forms of chicharrón are made with non-animal sources such as tapioca starch and green peas, hence the term. It is debatable if the vegetarian, kropek-like "mock pork crackling" could be considered a form of kropek, since there are a lot of similarities but also differences which make them two. These are sold at sari-sari stores in smaller portions as a light snack, as well as in bigger bags at local supermarkets and convenience stores.

Kropek is often eaten as an appetizer, 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 of kropek. Some of the more well-known brands in the Philippines are La La Fish Crackers and Oishi prawn crackers, fish crackers, and fish kropeck. Oishi, a Philippines-based company that has expanded across Asia, is one of the biggest Filipino and Asian companies.

Production centres

In Indonesia, major production centres of krupuk are usually coastal fishing towns. Sidoarjo in East Java,[21] Cirebon in West Java, Karimun Jawa island, Padang, Palembang and Medan in Sumatra, Bangka Island, Samarinda and Pontianak in Kalimantan, and Makassar in Sulawesi are major producers of krupuk, and many recipes originate from there.

Some inland towns are also famous as krupuk production centres, such as Bandung, Garut and Malang. 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.[22]

Most of the coastal towns in Malaysia such as Mukah, Malacca Town, Pangkor Island and Lumut produce keropok from large scale manufacturing to small scale home factories.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Adrian Vickers. Adrian Vickers. A History of Modern Indonesia. registration. 3 November 2005. Cambridge University Press. 978-1-139-44761-4. 190–.
  2. Web site: Kriuk Sejarah Kerupuk. Randy . Wirayudha . 31 August 2017. 2020-10-11. Historia - Majalah Sejarah Populer Pertama di Indonesia. id.
  3. Web site: Yohan Handoyo. Christmas Crackers. Jakarta Java kini. 4 April 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140407073602/http://www.jakartajavakini.com/inside/article/329/christmas_crackers. 7 April 2014. dead.
  4. Web site: A Guide to Dutch Indonesian Cuisine . Awesome Amsterdam . 15 August 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140706014834/http://awesomeamsterdam.com/articles/59/dutch-indonesian-cuisine . 6 July 2014 . dead .
  5. Book: Poerwadarminta, WJS. Bausastra.
  6. Web site: A Guide to Dutch Indonesian Cuisine . Awesome Amsterdam . 15 August 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140706014834/http://awesomeamsterdam.com/articles/59/dutch-indonesian-cuisine . 6 July 2014 . dead .
  7. Web site: Indonesia sells 35 containers of kerupuk at Thaifex 2016. 2021-08-30. The Jakarta Post. en.
  8. https://books.google.com/books?id=r4yC_uDLnTQC&dq=Krupuk+is&pg=PA226 Indonesian Regional Food and Cookery: Prawn cracker
  9. News: Kuliner Tradisional: Menikmati Pedasnya Seblak Khas Bandung . Karina Armadani . CNN Indonesia . 19 December 2014 . id .
  10. Web site: Aneka Kerupuk Indonesia. bangmuzh. 26 March 2022.
  11. Web site: Aisyah. Yuharrani . 2020-11-23 . Resep Kerupuk Gendar dari Nasi Sisa, Tanpa Garam Bleng dan Penyedap . 2024-03-11 . KOMPAS.com . id.
  12. Web site: Izan . Khaerul . Kerupuk melarat kuliner khas Cirebon yang tercipta saat masa sulit . antaranews.com . 7 May 2023 . Indonesian.
  13. Web site: Krupuk Petis Udang . jatengprov.go.id . Central Java Government . 7 May 2023 . Indonesian.
  14. Web site: Kerupuk Siput Gonggong Khas Tanjungpinang . Kepritoday . 24 July 2014 . 8 October 2023 . Indonesian.
  15. Web site: Kerupuk Telur Asin Brebes Laris Manis hingga Luar Negeri . kumparan.com . PanturaPost . 8 May 2023 . Indonesian.
  16. Web site: Resep Kerupuk Udang dan 6 Tips Cara Mudah Membuatnya yang Bikin Ketagihan | bangmuzh. 26 March 2022.
  17. http://www.sekarlaut.com/products.php?action=category&cID=9 Krupuk Udang Finna
  18. Web site: myReal Pulau Pangkor Prawn Crackers by Lumut Crackers Sdn. Bhd.. lumutcrackers.com.my .
  19. Book: Su-Lyn Tan. Mark Tay. Malaysia & Singapore. registration. 2003. Lonely Planet. 978-1-74059-370-0. 149–.
  20. Book: Pat Foh Chang. Legends and history of Sarawak. 1999. Chang Pat Foh. 978-983-9475-07-4.
  21. Web site: Sidoarjo Cracker Industry. 4 November 2010. EastJava.com. 3 November 2014. 3 October 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151003052643/http://eastjava.com/blog/2010/11/04/sidoarjo-cracker-industry/. dead.
  22. Web site: Krupuk A bite-size problem. 2021-08-30. The Jakarta Post. en.