Krupuk kulit ( jv, rambak or min, karupuak jangek, lit: "skin crackers") is a traditional

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 ...

cattle skin ''

krupuk ''Krupuk'' ( Javanese), ''kerupuk'' (Indonesian), ''keropok'' (Malay), ''kroepoek'' (Dutch) or ''kropek'' ( Tagalog) is a cracker made from starch or animal skin and other ingredients that serve as flavouring. Most krupuk are deep fried, w ...

'' (cracker). Traditionally it is made from the soft inner skin of cattle (

cow Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...

water buffalo The water buffalo (''Bubalus bubalis''), also called the domestic water buffalo or Asian water buffalo, is a large bovid originating in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Today, it is also found in Europe, Australia, North America, So ...

), diced, and sun-dried until it hardens and loses most of its water content. The diced and dried skin are later fried in ample hot cooking oil until they expand in similar fashion with bubble and yield a crispy texture. This fried cattle skin is then sealed in vacuum plastic bags to ensure and prolong its crispiness.

History

''Krupuk rambak'' or krupuk made from cow or buffalo skin, is the oldest-mentioned krupuk variant in ancient Java. According to a culinary historian, krupuk has been around in Java since the 9th or 10th century, written on the Batu Pura inscription as ''krupuk rambak,'' which still exists today in

Javanese cuisine Javanese cuisine is the cuisine of Javanese people, a major ethnic group in Indonesia, more precisely the province of Central Java, Yogyakarta and East Java. Definition Javanese cuisine refers exclusively to the cuisine of Javanese peop ...

, usually in ''

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 ...

'', a spicy stew.

Serving

Krupuk kulit is often served as a crispy snack to accompany main meals. In Padang restaurants they are often offered as a side dish for

nasi padang Nasi padang, sometimes referred to as Padang rice, is a Minangkabau dish of steamed rice served with various choices of pre-cooked dishes originating from West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is named after the city of Padang, capital of the West Sumat ...

sate padang Sate padang, more commonly referred to as Padang satay is a speciality satay from Minangkabau cuisine, made from beef cut into small cubes with spicy sauce on top. Its main characteristic is the thick yellow sauce made from rice flour mixed with b ...

, and often served with ''kuah

gulai ''Gulai'' is a class of spicy and rich stew commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The main ingredients of this dish are usually poultry, goat meat, beef, mutton, various kinds of offal, fish and seafood, as well as vegetables suc ...

'' seasoning. In Java, krupuk kulit is the essential ingredients for ''

'', a krupuk kulit dish in spicy coconut milk stew.

Variations

Most of krupuk kulit sold in Indonesia are made from cattle skin, either cow or water buffalo (''kerbau''). However, in some areas with large non-

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

populations such as

Bali Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...

Batak Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of closely related Austronesian ethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia, who speak Batak languages. The term is used to include the Karo, Pakpak, Simalungun, Toba, ...

lands, and some Chinatowns in

Medan Medan (; English: ) is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of North Sumatra, as well as a regional hub and financial centre of Sumatra. According to the National Development Planning Agency, Medan is one of the four main ...

and other cities,

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...

skin krupuk kulit is also available. Compared to common cow skin crackers, ''kerupuk kulit babi'' (

pork rind Pork rind is the culinary term for the skin of a pig. It can be used in many different ways. It can be rendered, fried in fat, baked, or roasted to produce a kind of pork cracklings (US) or scratchings (UK); these are served in small pieces ...

s) have a lighter colour and crumble more easily. There is also a variant which uses

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...

skin as ''krupuk kulit kodok''. Krupukkulit

Notes

External links

Industri Kerupuk Kulit Toraja
Javanese cuisine Padang cuisine Deep fried foods Indonesian snack foods {{Indonesia-cuisine-stub

History

Serving

Variations

See also

Notes

External links