The origin of rice cakes

Senbei (煎餅) is a common name for Japanese traditional dry cakes which often served with green tea as a snack for the guests.

This dish originated in China and imported into Japan from the Nara period. The Senbei cakes at that time were quite simple, made only from wheat flour and sugar. By the Edo period or the Tokugawa period, there were many creative ways of making Senbei cakes. Many kinds of Senbei cake with various flavors, different shapes had appeared. It also formed two types: Senbei made from wheat flour and Senbei made from rice flour.

Senbei made from wheat flour is the traditional Senbei of Kansai region. It is made from wheat flour, sugar and eggs and its taste is the same with biscuits.

Senbei made from rice is produced mainly in Kanto region – Japan’s main rice producing region.

With a variety of ingredients and the way of processing, many different kinds of Senbei with delicious taste was made by Japanese artisans, contributing to enrich the treasure of Japanese cuisine.