Twice the size

In Chinese, kroepoek is called xiabing 虾饼, which can be literally translated to “prawn cookie”. This prawn cracker is a deep-fried snack made from starch and prawn. The Dutch kroepoek in Chinese-Indonesian restaurants are often bought in a small, hard and dry form, measuring roughly 19cm by 5cm. When placed in hot oil, it expands and turns large and crispy.See article by Vicky Williams “Did prawn crackers originate from Malaysia or Indonesia, and which country has the better version?”The kroepoek then measures roughly 41cm by 10cm. In order to achieve the crispy texture, the kroepoek is sun-dried which helps reduce the amount of moisture.[5] Eventually, two slices of kroepoek are packed in their signature plastic bags.

According to celebrity chef and street food expert Will Meyrick, legend has it that the first kroepoek was developed by crushing prawn heads.[2] Originally in Indonesia, this crispy snack is often made of a mixture of tapioca starch, water, and shrimp. This mixture is turned into dough and then steamed. After steaming, it can be sliced into thin slices and then dried. Besides being a snack, krupuk, or the smaller variant named kripik in Bahasa Indonesian, is often used to complement a dish. In Indonesia, for instance, we can find many different types of krupuk in different regions. Krupuk udang, which can be translated as prawn cracker, resembles the one sold by Chinese-Indonesian restaurants in the Netherlands the most.