Dried shrimp are shrimp that have been sun dried and shrunk to a thumbnail size. They are used in many Asian cuisines, imparting a unique umami taste. A handful of shrimp are generally used for dishes. The flavors of this ingredient are released when allowed to simmer.

In Chinese cuisine, dried shrimp are used quite frequently for their sweet and unique flavor that is very different from fresh shrimp. They have the coveted umami flavor (or so-called "fifth taste"). It is an ingredient in the Cantonese XO sauce. Dried shrimp are also used in Chinese (mostly Cantonese) soups and braised dishes. It is also featured in Cantonese cuisine, particularly in some dim sum dishes such as rolled and rice noodle roll and in zongzi. Despite the literal meaning of the name Chinese name xiā mǐ ("shrimp rice"), it has nothing to do with rice other than the fact that the shrimp are shrunk to a tiny size similar to grains of rice.

Dried shrimp are also used in Korean cuisine, where they are soaked briefly to reconstitute them, and are then stir-fried with seasonings—typically garlic, ginger, scallions, soy sauce, sugar, and hot peppers—and served as a side dish. It is called "mareunsaeu bokkeum" (hangul:마른새우볶음) in Korean. They are also used in some Korean braised dishes (jorim) and used for making broth.Park Eunju (March 2008) (in Korean). Spring namul soups: from Gyeonggi to Jeju (봄나물국 1: 경기부터 제주까지 팔도 봄나물국). DesignHouse

In countries like Malaysia, shrimps are used to make a condiment called sambal udang (udang being the Malay word for prawns or shrimps). In Southeast Asia, prawns and shrimps are distinguished by their size and therefore it is not practical to make sambal udang with prawns. The Malay people developed sambal udang, which uses fresh shrimp and is wetter, while the Chinese living in Southeast Asia, especially those of Peranakan descent, developed sambal udang kering, which uses dried shrimp, is drier, and can be served as pub grub. Most major supermarkets in Malaysia and Singapore sell fresh shrimp from which the shells have already been removed.

Known as กุ้งแห้ง (kung haeng) in Thai cuisine, dried shrimp is used extensively with chilies and Thai herbs to produce chili paste and various types of curry paste. Dried shrimp is also used as is in Northeastern dishes such as somtam.

Dried shrimp paste, called kapi (กะปิ), is also eaten in Thailand.

In the Philippines, dried shrimp is called "hibi/hibe" and is used in soup dishes such as misua.

They are also used in Vietnamese cuisine, where they are called tôm khô, and are used in soups and in fried rice.

Dried shrimp for sale near Bến Thành Market, Saigon

Dried shrimp are often added by Cajun cooks to gumbo to add an intense salty flavor. They can also be used as a snack by themselves, and can be commonly found in snack size portions in stores in south Louisiana. "A true Cajun secret: using dried shrimp in seafood gumbos." thecajunfoodie.com. Accessed January 31, 2010. Retrieved on 2010-01-31.