Why do shrimp crackers expand when fried? Why do shrimp crackers expand when fried?

We all know that shrimp chips are a common food in our lives. They can only be eaten after being fried. Shrimp chips are thin at first, and they will become larger after being fried. This is a very normal phenomenon. So why do shrimp chips become larger after being fried? Let's take a closer look!

What are shrimp chips made of?

Shrimp chips are made from crushed shrimps and small fish, which are boiled and filtered to extract the juice. The juice is then added to corn starch or sweet potato starch and cooked in a pot.

Have you seen vermicelli made in the countryside? The original method of making shrimp chips is the same as that of vermicelli made in the countryside. It's just that the mixture of starch and shrimp soup is made into small pieces with a mold, and then dried and stored.

There are still many shrimp chip manufacturers in Dalian, but the current technology is very advanced. Generally, the prepared starch and shrimp semi-finished products are freeze-dried, dried, and then packaged.

Why do shrimp chips get bigger when fried?

In fact, this is a physical change. To put it simply, it is a process of evaporation of water and expansion of gas;

Where is the moisture before the dry shrimp chips are put into the oil pan? Water does exist in shrimp chips due to the presence of starch, but in our common understanding, we think that there is no water. Transparent shrimp chips are the product of starch and water. The water molecules in them are not free and not wet, so we cannot detect the presence of water molecules in shrimp chips;

During the processing of starch and water, the starch is processed into a paste, and the free water molecules are removed during the heating and drying process. However, there are still non-free water molecules. During the frying process, the shrimp chips encounter high temperatures, and the boiling hot oil forces out the water molecules in the shrimp chips. When they encounter air, they will expand during the high-temperature heating process. Therefore, what we see with the naked eye is that they begin to expand as soon as they are fried in the oil pan.

How to make homemade shrimp chips

1. First, we prepare 200 grams of fresh shrimp, peel, de-head and devein, then add about 35 ml of water to the shrimp and use a food processor to beat it into shrimp paste;

2. Then add tapioca starch, salt, sugar and pepper to the shrimp paste, and finally add 4 to 5 ml of oil and beat it into a uniform paste again;

3. Preheat the oven to about 200 degrees, put the shrimp paste in the middle of the baking paper and flatten it, bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, and then you can get a crispy and delicious healthy shrimp snack. (If you have an egg roll machine, electric baking pan, etc., it will be very convenient)