Chinese Shrimp and Prawn Dishes: Salt and Pepper, Jiang Pao

Chinese shrimp and prawn dishes explained: prawn vs shrimp, tiger prawns, salt and pepper style, jiang pao, and all 12 prawn dishes at Toki in Jeddah.

4 November 2026. 5 min read

Salt & Pepper Tiger Prawns at Toki: crisp fried prawns with dried red chili and spring onion on an oval plate, with a bowl of orange dip and a red chair behind.

Chinese cooking does more with shrimp and prawns than with almost any other seafood. They are folded into dim sum, spread on toast, fried crisp and tossed with salt and dried chili, or cooked in a hot wok with a thick, glossy sauce. Salt and pepper prawns and jiang pao prawns are two of the best known styles.

At Toki, a Chinese restaurant in Al Khalidiyah, Jeddah, selected in the MICHELIN Guide Saudi Arabia, prawns or shrimp appear in a dozen dishes across the menu. This guide explains the difference between prawns and shrimp, what tiger prawns are, and what goes into each prawn dish.

What is the difference between prawns and shrimp?

In the kitchen there is very little difference: prawns and shrimp taste alike, cook alike and are often swapped on menus. Biologists separate them by anatomy, including the shape of the gills and the way they carry their eggs, and prawns tend to be larger, though size alone is not a reliable guide.

The words also follow geography. British, Australian and many Asian menus say prawn, and American menus say shrimp. Toki’s menu uses both: prawn for most of the starters and mains, and shrimp for the Crystal Shrimp dim sum, the Szechuan Sui Mai and the Seafood Green Fried Rice.

What are tiger prawns?

Tiger prawns are large prawns named for the dark stripes across their shells. Their size and firm, sweet flesh hold up well to frying and to strong sauces, which is why Chinese kitchens like them for wok dishes.

Toki uses tiger prawns in two dishes. Salt & Pepper Tiger Prawns is a starter, and Chili Tiger Prawn is a main in the From the sea section, cooked with Chinese water chestnut, black mushroom and chili.

What are salt and pepper prawns?

Salt and pepper prawns are a Cantonese way with seafood: the prawns are fried until crisp, then tossed in a very hot wok with salt, pepper, chili and aromatics such as garlic and spring onion. There is no sauce on the prawns themselves, so the coating stays dry and crunchy.

Toki stir fries crispy tiger prawns with dry chili, spring onion and Chinese spices. Toki’s Instagram shows them piled on an oval plate with a small bowl of dipping sauce, and in January 2025 it announced the dish was staying on the menu for good. Expect chili heat, and note that peanuts are on the allergen list.

What are jiang pao prawns?

At Toki, Jiang Pao Prawns are crispy prawns coated in the kitchen’s own jiang pao sauce. The dish is new to the menu and sits among the starters.

Jiang is the Chinese word for a thick sauce or paste, such as fermented bean paste, and jiang bao, also written jiang pao, is a quick wok method built around one of these sauces. Toki’s Instagram introduced the dish in July 2026 as crispy and bold, and its photos show the prawns in a glossy red glaze, finished with edible flowers. Chili and tree nuts are both on the allergen list.

Jiang Pao Prawns at Toki: crispy prawns in a glossy red glaze, topped with toasted flakes and purple edible flowers, in a dark bowl by a red velvet chair

Which other prawn starters does Toki serve?

There are three more: Sesame Prawn Toast, Mango Prawn and the Prawns and Sesame Salad. The toast and the Mango Prawn are mild, with no chilli on their allergen lists, while the salad carries some chili.

Sesame Prawn Toast: bread, sesame seeds and hoisin sauce. Prawn toast is a Cantonese-born snack of minced prawn spread on bread, coated in sesame seeds and fried until golden and crisp.

Sesame Prawn Toast at Toki: four toast triangles crusted with black and white sesame over a pink prawn layer, with a creamy dip and chopsticks on a dark plate

Mango Prawn: mango, toasted bread and a horseradish creamy dressing.

Prawns and Sesame Salad: prawns with lettuce and a sesame sauce, new to the menu. Chinese sesame sauces are usually built on toasted sesame paste, which gives a rich, nutty flavour that suits shellfish.

Prawns and Sesame Salad at Toki: sesame sauce poured from a black jug over salad leaves and crisp wafers in a grey bowl, with a red velvet chair behind

Which dim sum and rice dishes have prawns or shrimp?

Three dim sum and three rice, noodle or soup dishes include them:

Crystal Shrimp: Chinese water chestnut and carrot. Crystal refers to a thin, translucent wrapper, the style of har gow, the classic Cantonese shrimp dumpling.
Szechuan Sui Mai: an open dumpling with chicken, shrimp, soybean, chili, Chinese mushroom and spring onion.
Kaffir Lobster Dumpling: lobster and prawn with kaffir lime and spinach.
Seafood Green Fried Rice: shrimp, scallop and olive leaf.
Rice Noodles: prawns and chicken with vegetables and oyster sauce.
Szechuan Hot and Sour Soup: shrimp, chicken, tofu and black mushroom.

For more on the dumplings, read the complete guide to dim sum in Jeddah.

Which prawn dishes are not spicy?

Four prawn dishes list no chilli among their allergens: Sesame Prawn Toast, Mango Prawn, Crystal Shrimp and the Kaffir Lobster Dumpling. Every other prawn dish on the menu lists chilli.

That makes the toast and the Crystal Shrimp an easy pairing for children or anyone who prefers mild food, while the tiger prawns and the Jiang Pao Prawns bring the heat.

How should you order prawns at Toki?

Choose one crispy prawn starter rather than two, then balance it with something steamed or fresh. Salt & Pepper Tiger Prawns and Jiang Pao Prawns are both crispy, so for two people one of them is enough.

For two: Crystal Shrimp, Salt & Pepper Tiger Prawns, a fish main such as the Cantonese Steamed Najel, and a rice.
For four: add Jiang Pao Prawns and Sesame Prawn Toast to start, and make the Chili Tiger Prawn a main with rice.

For the lobster, scallop and calamari dishes, read the guide to Chinese seafood in Jeddah, and for fish, the guide to Cantonese steamed fish. To see where the salt and pepper style comes from, read Cantonese cuisine explained.

Where can you eat Chinese prawns and shrimp in Jeddah?

At Toki, on King Abdulaziz Road in Al Khalidiyah, Jeddah, where 12 dishes on the menu include prawns or shrimp. Opening hours and directions are on the visit page.

You can book your table online or call reservations on 050 466 5658. See current prices for every dish on the menu.

Quick answers

Are prawns and shrimp the same thing?

Not to a biologist, but in cooking the two are used interchangeably. Toki’s menu uses both words.

Are salt and pepper prawns spicy?

Yes. Toki’s Salt & Pepper Tiger Prawns are stir fried with dry chili, so expect some heat.

Do any of Toki’s prawn dishes contain nuts?

Yes. The Salt & Pepper Tiger Prawns list peanuts, and the Jiang Pao Prawns list tree nuts. Tell your server about any allergy before you order.

Is Toki halal?

Yes. Toki runs a halal kitchen.