Japanese Food Tips

In addition to "Rice Crackers (Arare or Okaki)" previeously described, there is another type of rice cracker called senbei. They are round in shape and are a little softer than arare or okaki. Though they seem to be very similar, strictly speaking they are different. Arare or okaki are made from glutinous rice, but senbei are made from regular rice. It seems that not many Japanese people know that there are differences in the ingredients. To make senbei, regular rice is steamed and then kneaded a lot and stretched. This processed rice is next molded into a round shape, and dried and baked. Almost all senbei has a soy sauce flavored seasoning. Added options to this base can be nori (seaweed), zarame (crystal sugar) or goma (sesame). A different type with salty taste, called salad senbei, is also famous. Senbei are as good for souvenirs as arare or okaki because they last for a long time.