Japanese Rice Crackers: The Difference Between Okaki and Senbei NEW

　Hello!　This is Staff K again. Welcome to the 7th entry in the “Staff K’s Notes” series.　
　Following the previous article, today’s topic is again about Japanese rice crackers.

　But here is a quick question:　Do you know the difference between “Okaki” and “Senbei”?
　Both are popular Japanese snacks made from rice. However, there are actually two different types of rice used to make rice crackers:　Non-glutinous rice (uruchi rice),　Glutinous rice (mochi rice).　This difference in rice varieties is what separates many types of Japanese rice crackers.

　In simple terms:

Okaki → made from glutinous rice
Senbei → made from non-glutinous rice

Here is a simple overview:

Source: Japan Rice Crackers Association　　https://www.arare-osenbei.jp/type/

Category	Arare / Okaki (glutinous rice)	Senbei (non-glutinous rice)
Texture	Slightly chewy texture inside with a fragrant crispy outside	Less sticky with a firm, crunchy bite. Often flat and harder in texture
History & Regional Style	Developed mainly in eastern Japan and often flavored with soy sauce	Spread mainly in western Japan

A Great Stop After the Echigo Country Trail

　So if you want to try some rice crackers after the race, where should you go?

　One recommended place is the Iwatsuka Seika Factory Outlet Store, located in the former Koshiji area next to Oguni Town.
　Here you can buy “B-grade products” (factory outlet items) at very reasonable prices. These are products with minor shape or size differences, but the taste is exactly the same.

The store is very popular among local people, and if you visit at the right time, you may even see customers buying rice crackers in large quantities!

Satoyama Genki Farm – Iwatsuka Factory Outlet