Japanese Rice Cracker Recipe: 3 Tips for Making Rice Crackers

Japanese rice crackers are a gluten-free snack food made from glutinous rice flour (sweet rice flour), white rice flour, or brown rice flour. These crackers can be baked, grilled, or fried and seasoned with either sweet and savory ingredients and toppings.

There are a few main types of Japanese rice crackers: arare, okaki, and senbei. These crackers, which you can find in most Asian grocery stores, can be served alongside green tea or an alcoholic beverage, with soup or salad, or as a quick snack.

Though they come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and flavors, Japanese rice crackers are typically understood in three main categories:

1. 1. Arare: Arare are bite-sized crackers made from glutinous rice and soy sauce (some arare mixes include pieces of senbei). The name “arare” comes from the Japanese word for “snow pellet,” as the rice crackers are typically about the same size and shape as bits of hail. Arare is made from the same glutinous rice flour as okaki-style crackers, and is generally enjoyed alongside beer, as trail mix, or prepared in honor of specific festivals.
2. 2. Okaki: Okaki are rice crackers made from mochigome (glutinous rice) or sweet rice flour, like mochiko. These crackers also date back to the Heian period (789-1185), when it became popular to deep-fry small pieces of leftover ceremonial mochi into a puffy, crunchy snack.
   
3. 3. Senbei: These palm-sized crackers, made from joshinko (non-glutinous) rice, were introduced to Japan during the Tang Dynasty and are among the oldest Japanese snack foods. There are many different types of senbei, both traditional and regional. They can be sweet or savory; shōyu (soy sauce), mirin, black soybean, nori, shrimp, sesame, and furikake are among the most common flavorings.

If you have a little leftover rice and some rice flour, you can make your own rice crackers at home:

1. 1. Choose a suitable flour. While white rice flour is a mild foundation for all kinds of seasonings, brown rice has a nutty, toasty flavor—like in genmaicha tea—that pairs well with richer glazes, like tamari.
2. 2. Try a different cooking method. For a healthy snack, opt to bake your rice crackers rather than deep-frying them. Flip the crackers halfway through the bake to ensure an evenly crisp exterior on both sides.
3. 3. Play with mix-ins. Senbei-style crackers often feature an outer wrapper of nori for extra flavor. Still, all kinds of seasonings can be mixed directly into the cracker dough itself before you roll out and shape it. (Aonori, a dried powdered form of edible seaweed, is popular for its distinct color and umami flavor.)