Savoury Snacks

Japanese rice crackers: Senbei and arare

If you’re new to Japanese rice crackers, start with senbei. These larger, flatter crackers are baked or grilled and brushed with seasoning, so every bite gives a firm, satisfying snap and a burst of savoury flavour. Black pepper senbei, with its gentle, lingering warmth, is very hard to stop eating once the bag is open.

Arare are smaller and lighter. Made from glutinous rice, they have an airy, crackling crunch that’s perfect for eating by the handful. The wasabi and soy sauce mochi crackers deliver a quick, nose-tingling kick, whilst tiny bubu arare can be scattered over ochazuke, salads and soups for a pop of colour and crunch.

Japanese crisps and coated peanuts

Japanese crisps take a familiar British favourite somewhere new. Sweet and sour ume plum balances fruity sharpness with salt, and wasabi and nori brings a savoury, seaweedy depth with a gentle kick that builds as you go.

Coated peanuts are another essential for a Japanese snack bowl. Each nut is wrapped in a crisp, seasoned shell that crackles as you bite into it. Our persimmon and peanut mix brings rice crackers and peanuts together in one bag – a classic partner for a cold beer or a glass of chilled sake.

Choosing Japanese snacks to share or give

For a mixed bowl at a party, pair a mild senbei with something sharper, such as wasabi arare or ume plum crisps, so every handful tastes a little different. That salty, savoury edge works beautifully with Japanese sake or a glass of chilled umeshu.

Alternatively, try our rice cracker sets, which bring several bags together in one present – ideal for anyone who loves Japanese snacks. They’re small enough to slip into a stocking, and for something sweeter to go alongside, try our Japanese sweets too.