One of the prizes I won at the culinary competition was this bag of 'bitternut'. Ingredients: dried bitternuts. Hmmm.
Thankfully a little googling of their alternative name 'emping melinjo' revealed that these are intended to be deep-fried, much like the more familiar prawn crackers. I gave it a go on Sunday afternoon; they fizzed and puffed up in seconds. I collected them in a bowl and seasoned them with stock powder.
The smell and first taste reminded me of popcorn! After a while the texture developed a distinct nuttiness, and the aftertaste was quite bitter. The name's a good fit.
I think they'd be great with a condiment on the side, perhaps an Indonesian peanut sauce befitting their origins. I can see how well they'd work well on a gado gado plate.
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