Fried Shrimp Chips

Shrimp chips, usually labeled shrimp crackers, are the Southeast Asian equivalent of the American potato chip. They are made by mixing a dough of primarily ground shrimp and tapioca starch, steaming it, slicing it, and setting the slices out in the hot sun to dry. The hard chips are then deep-fried in oil, puffing and expanding to about twice their original size. Made well, the essence of shrimp is captured in each chip. Most cooks buy the dry chips, rather than make them. The frying is fast and neither messy nor oily. Plus, the chips may be fried hours in advance, making a bowl of bánh phong tôm an easy accompaniment to cocktails. They are also used to scoop up salads, such as Cucumber and Shrimp Salad (page 46). As with all snack foods, not all shrimp chips are equal. The inexpensive colorful ones sold in boxes are pretty but not much else. Indonesian shrimp chips, called krupuk, are consistently good and packed with real shrimp flavor. Imports from Vietnam are getting steadily better. Most of them are from Sa Dec, a city known for its tasty shrimp.