This traditional snack has varying ingredients, depending on which variety you eat. For example, Chinese shrimp chips are typically made with tapioca flour, seasonings, and dried shrimp powder or fresh crustacean shellfish (shrimp) pieces, which offer a more noodle-like flavor. Depending on the brand of shrimp chips purchased, the chips may actually be made from prawn shells or extract instead of real shrimp. You may also see ingredients like sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) used in ready-to-eat shrimp chips.
If shrimp powder is used, the mixture is combined with water to turn into a dough. This dough is rolled out, shaped into crackers, and then dried. Once purchased, they are deep fried at home or in Vietnamese/Chinese restaurants and enjoyed! In some versions of this dish, the prawn crackers feature bright colors, so coloring may also be added to the cracker dough.
Seasonings like salt, pepper, and monosodium glutamate (MSG) are also added to the prawn crackers for additional flavor. They're typically eaten as snacks/appetizers in Chinese culture. It's common to see Chinese parents/grandparents making large batches of shrimp chips for Chinese New Year for the kids/younger family members.
These chips are considered healthier than potato chips, as they're lower in calories and higher in protein. Because of this, you'll often see prawn crackers available at Asian markets/convenience stores. They've grown so popular recently that they're even considered a competitor to potato chips.