kerak

Kerak is a term used in Indonesian and Malay to denote a crust or outer layer. The word is versatile, and its precise meaning depends on context, covering both culinary and non-culinary senses.

In culinary use, kerak refers to the browned, crisp exterior of baked goods, such as bread and pastries, as well as the outer layer formed on fried or roasted foods. It denotes texture and appearance that contrasts with a softer interior.

In other contexts, kerak describes the dry outer layer that forms on objects or living tissue. For example, a dried crust over a wound is commonly called kerak (scab). The term is also used in geology and geography to denote the outer solid layer of a planet or celestial body; in Indonesian and Malay, Earth’s crust is specifically referred to as kerak bumi.

The word originates in Malay and Indonesian as a general descriptor of an outer covering and appears in everyday speech as well as in scientific and educational texts in Indonesia and Malaysia.