A rice cracker is an East Asian cracker made from cooked rice or rice flour. Many regional varieties exist, though most are fried or baked and puffed and/or brushed with soy sauce or vinegar to create a smooth texture. Some may also be wrapped in seaweed.
Preparation
History
Rice crackers are thought to have originated during China's
Han dynasty (c. 202 BC). Later, during the
Tang dynasty, there are records of
senbei being served to houseguests as a token of courtesy.
In Japan, they were popularized during the
Edo period.
The Japanese Soka senbei (made in Soka City, Saitama Prefecture) is widely considered to be the first modern rice cracker.
Serving
Rice crackers are traditionally served with soup or salad, along with
green tea and/ or alcoholic beverages.
In the western world, they are often eaten as a snack food in
trail mix along with ingredients such as
Wasabi, nuts, dried and salted
edamame, and sesame sticks.
Types
Rice crackers are produced in several varieties and shapes. Some of the most popular are listed below.
Cambodia
-
Num kreab, a round, flat Cambodian rice cracker
Japan
-
米菓, a dry Japanese confectionery made from rice
-
あられ, a stone-shaped, bite-sized Japanese rice cracker
-
Oriibu no hana ('olive flower')
-
せんべい, a flat disk-shaped, palm-sized cracker traditionally eaten with green tea
-
Shoyu senbei, a cracker brushed with soy sauce
-
Nori senbei, a cracker toasted and wrapped in dried sushi nori
-
Kuro goma senbei, a nutty cracker speckled with Sesame
-
Togarashi senbei, a spicy cracker coated in Chili powder and flakes
-
Ika senbei, or Ika sen, a cracker baked with grilled squid
-
Ebi senbei, or Ebi sen, a cracker baked with Mincing shrimp
-
Kuromame senbei, a cracker made with dough mixed with Soybean
-
Zarame senbei, a cracker sprinkled with crystals of sugar
-
Kaki no tane, a small, seasoned crescent-shape snack that bears a resemblance to peanuts
-
Korenya Shingetsuan, made with sasanishiki rice from Miyagi prefecture into a thin rice cakes grilled over charcoal. It has a faint sweetness of rice, and melts immediately when you put it in your mouth.
Indonesia
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Krupuk gendar, also known as krupuk puli, krupuk karak, krupuk beras, or krupuk nasi, is an Indonesian style ground rice cracker commonly found in Java island.
-
Rengginang, a thick cracker made with Glutinous rice granules.
See also
