The Chinese Food Hack That Uses Prawn Crackers Is Chef's Kiss
If you're a fiend for texture, then you might feel like food is somehow better with just a little added crunch. Whether you decide to gobble all the best Chinese food down right there at the restaurant or need to take some savory leftovers back home with you, you'll want to make sure you've got some prawn crackers to do the heavy lifting. Not only do they effectively scoop up everything from tasty fried rice to saucy orange chicken, but they also pack that divine crunch you're looking for, as well as a little bit of flavor to complement your meal.
While you can make them at home and risk a shrimp-smelling household, it's much easier to simply buy prawn crackers, also known as shrimp chips, at the Chinese restaurant you're dining at. You can also buy them at Costco or other major grocery retailers. Depending on what brand you get, you'll always get that sought-after crunch, but sometimes the flavor can be hit or miss. The most appetizing prawn crackers should taste salty and slightly sweet while packing the perfect amount of seafood flavor with every bite. An overpowering, overly fishy cracker is not the goal here, though some taste buds may be into that.
One TikTok user posted this genius food-scooping hack, admitting their discovery was 25 years too late. Others seemed to be in the same boat and were happy to learn about it. The best part is that prawn crackers don't just scoop, they absorb.
The high starch content in prawn crackers helps them soak up food
In Malaysia and Thailand, shrimp crisps are consumed just as normally as the Western world eats its potato chips. So if you love shoving salty Lay's chips into your sandwiches, you might want to try this hack the next time you order Chinese. Jim Doherty, a presenter on the British TV series "Food Unwrapped," points out that, "Starch is very, very good at absorbing moisture and that's key to making a good prawn cracker" (via The Daily Mail). Besides containing prawn meat, shrimp crackers are fried in tapioca flour to achieve their distinct crunchy texture.
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On TikTok, we can see one user barely even scooping and instead seems to simply press the prawn cracker into the rice, which sticks to it easily. "I just use it as a shovel," one commenter said. Many others were just as blown away, stating that "this changes everything" when it comes to maximizing the flavor experience of an otherwise average Chinese takeout meal. It may even be wiser to eat them as a food vehicle rather than losing track of how many you're snacking on right out of the bag.
Since they are high in calories and fat, eating too many can have a negative impact on heart health and blood pressure. But when you're using them like a salty spoon, it might be easier to curb your snacking once your food is gone and the potential for scooping is no more.