Senbei

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Alternative spellings: sembee, sembei, senbee

Disambiguation: Senbei is also a character in Anime/Manga series Oh My Goddess!

Senbei are Japanese crackers, made from rice. They come in various shapes, sizes, and flavors, usually savory but sometimes sweet. Senbei are often eaten with green tea as a casual snack and offered to visiting house guests as a courtesy refreshment.

Senbei are usually cooked by being baked or grilled, traditionally over charcoal. While being prepared they may be brushed with a flavoring sauce, often one made of shoyu and mirin. They may then be wrapped with a layer of nori. Alternatively they may be flavored with salt or so-called "salad" flavoring.

[edit] Categories of senbei

• Nori-wrapped
• Arare
• Spicy-hot arare
• Olive no Hana
• Soy nut
• Sugar-coated

[edit] Historical senbei

Senbei have also been stamped with the imperial crest and presented as tokens of recognition and gratitude by the Japanese emperor during the Second World War. The infamous Tokyo Rose was a recipient of one such imperial senbei.

[edit] See also

• Bakauke, a brand of senbei.