Japanese Food Tips

Senbei (rice crackers) are snacks made from rice, deep-fried and seasoned with soy sauce or salt. Ebi senbei are snacks made from shrimp and starch or flour, deep-fried and seasoned with salt. In particular, traditional ebi senbei are made with starch. Literature records that there was a prototype of ebi senbei in 1666, and mass production began around the middle of the Meiji period (1868-1912), mainly in Aichi Prefecture. Ebi senbei are delicious, with a slight saltiness and a mouth-watering shrimp flavor. Ebi senbei can be easily eaten at home or used as gifts. High-end ebi senbei are available at shrimp cracker specialty stores, department stores or supermarkets, and more economical versions can be found at either supermarkets or convenience stores. If you are ever in Japan and interested in trying them, please buy some.