14. Snacks, Prawn Crackers & Biscuits
Who doesn’t love a good snack? This chapter of the HS Wiki is all about Snacks, Crackers and Biscuits. In Europe Crackers are often eaten as an in-between snack whilst in Asia they are also used as side dish for a meal or as a dessert. Have a look at all the different Snacks, Crackers and Biscuits H&S has to offer!
RICE CRACKERS
Oriental Rice Crackers consist of mostly Rice and are typically flavoured with Soy Sauce, Sugar, Seaweed or Chilli. They are often enjoyed as an evening snack or served as a ‘party snack’, but are also delicious as a small snack between meals. Since the crackers mainly consist of rice they are relatively low in calories, making them a healthier choice than Potato Chips and a delicious crunchy alternative.
CRISPS/CHIPS
The thin slices of Potato that have been either deep fried or baked until crunchy are well known in every corner of the world. They are commonly served as a snack, side dish, or appetizer. Traditionally Crisps are made from potatoes, but of course there are many other variations. At H&S we also sell Banana crisps, Salted Plantain Crisps and even BBQ Bacon Crisps. As you can read, the possibilities of variations with Crisps are endless, there is definitely a flavour of Crisps for everyone’s taste!
PEANUTS & NUTS
There are many different Nuts, the most famous ones would be Walnuts, Pecan Nuts, Cashew Nuts and Pistachio’s. Nuts and Peanuts are often eaten as a snack or used in a recipe.
Nuts are often seen as a healthy snack and in general nuts are good sources of fat, fiber and protein. However when the nuts are salted they become less healthy. It is no question that everyone knows what nuts are but did you know why a Peanut is not classed a nut? Peanuts are legumes, making them a member of the family of plant-based items that includes Lentils, Beans and Soybeans. True to the legume family, a Peanut is composed of an edible seed that grows inside a pod. Even though peanuts and nuts are not in the same family, they do share the same nutritional advantages and are also often eaten as a healthier snack during the day.
KEMIRI NUTS
A Kemiri Nut is the flesh from the nut of the Aleurites Moluccana tree. They are an essential ingredient to specialty dishes throughout South and Southeast Asia, as well as Polynesia.
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Need to know facts about Kemiri Nuts:
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The nuts are known as Candlenuts, because of their oil content is so high that they will burn like a candle.
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Kemiri tastes greasy, nutty and a little bitter.
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They are mildly toxic when raw, so must be thoroughly cooked before eating. Once opened, store in an airtight container away from heat, humidity and light.
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At first glance, it looks like a somewhat large Hazelnut. But unlike Hazelnuts, it is almost impossible to crack the shell yourself, which is why they are always sold shelled.
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Candlenuts are the key ingredient in the classic Malay spice paste Rempah, and crushed and pounded in other curry pastes or Indonesian sambal sauces.
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The nuts can be grounded or grated and then stirred into soups and stews to thicken and bring richness.
PEAS, BEAN & SEED SNACKS
Peas, Beans and Seeds are some of the most common foods worldwide. They come in many different varieties and are used in numerous traditional dishes. As a snack, the Peas and Beans are often roasted, making them crunchy. At H&S we offer several products within this category from salty Sunflower Seeds to spicy Wasabi Peas.
FISH SNACKS
Fish snacks are not very well known in Europe, we mostly eat Fish as part of a meal or as Tapas, but rarely as a snack. In Asia however fish snacks are quite common. Squid, Cuttlefish and all other kinds of fish are dried or shredded. But they are not simply dehydrated fish; the meat is typically blended with spices and Taro Root, baked into thin sheets, and then shredded and packaged into chewy, wrinkled, straw-shaped strips. At H&S we sell different flavours, from BBQ flavour to hot Chilli.
PRAWN CRACKERS
Prawn Crackers (Dutch: Kroepoek, Indonesian: Kerupuk, German: Krabbenbrot) is a well-known side dish in Asia, but also often eaten as a snack. Prawn crackers originated in Indonesian cuisine but are also very popular in other countries in Asia. Prawn Crackers are made by mixing Prawns, Tapioca Flour and water. The mixture is rolled out, steamed, and sliced. Traditionally, to achieve maximum crispiness, raw Crackers are usually sun-dried first before frying, to eliminate the moisture. Once dry, they are deep-fried in oil which gives them their crispiness. In only a few seconds they expand thin, transparent wafers to white fluffy crackers, just like popcorn. In Chinese cuisine, Prawn Crackers often have different colours due to the adding of food colouring (including shades of white, pale pink, green and blue), and tend to be lighter and non-spicy.
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Heuschen & Schrouff sells ready-to-eat and raw (still to be deep-fried) Prawn Crackers.
SEAWEED SNACKS
Seaweed Snacks are also known as Nori Snacks, they are small, thin sheets of Seaweed (Nori) that are very lightly smeared on the shiny side with (sesame) oil and other seasonings such as Soy Sauce, Wasabi, Kimchi, Chilli, you name it. The possibilities are endless. After the sheets are smeared they are carefully roasted in a flame or fried. The end result is a very crunchy and flavourful sheet of Seaweed.
Seaweed snacks have become very popular in Europe as a snack but it can also be used as topping.
PAPPADUMS
A Pappadum (also Papadum or Poppadom) is a very thin circular crisp made from a mixture of flour and water, which is fried in oil. Pappadums are typically served as a side dish or snack in traditional Indian cuisine. They can also be eaten as a starter or snack and can be topped with shredded Onions, Chutney, Dips or Herbs. They’re hearty and crisp and can be served either warm or cold. Pappadums are often combined with Mango Chutney as a snack.
CRACKERS
A Cracker is a flat, dry baked food typically made with flour. Flavourings or seasonings, such as salt, herbs, seeds, or cheese, may be added to the dough or sprinkled on top before baking. Crackers are often branded as a nutritious and convenient way to consume a staple food or cereal grain.
FRUIT SNACKS
Fruit snacks are often dried fruit which are cut into strips or pieces. They can be from different fruits like Mango, Guave, Pineapple, Banana, you name it. Fruit snacks are a healthier snack than for instance biscuits but still have the taste of candy. They are ideal on the go but can also be used in breakfast bowls, or in desserts.
BISCUITS & COOKIES
Cookies are a lot more loaded in terms of ingredients and flavours as compared to biscuits. They naturally take more time to bake too, considering its dense ingredient base batter. From chunky nuts to oats, chocolate chips and raisins, cookies can contain them all. The moist and chewy texture of cookies differentiates it from the biscuits which are essentially just crusty baked butter bread.
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It would not be wrong to call biscuit a baked bread. Nowadays, also savoury biscuits are on the market, made with whole-grain flours instead of the refined variety. These biscuits are considered good especially for diabetics. The essential ingredients used in baking biscuits are butter, flour and sugar. It is not as dense and sugary as a cookie; it is light in texture with a crusty exterior. They are relatively thinner in dimension too, as compared to cookies and most often come with a slightly grainy taste.
MOCHI
Mochi is a round Japanese Rice Cake which is traditionally eaten around the New Year (in the same way as Dutch people eat “Oliebollen”). The sticky, soft cake can have different fillings, such as Green Tea, Taro and Red Beans.
Besides these traditional Mochi's we also sell Mochi Ice Cream, these are frozen Mochi's with a Sticky Rice Dough outside and a Ice Cream filling. The Mochi Ice Creams are also available in mainstream flavours like Mango Vanilla and in a mixed flavours package.
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