Rice Crackers

Rice crackers are thin, crisp snacks made from pounded or milled rice (usually short-grain glutinous rice or Japanese uruchi rice) that's shaped, dried, and then baked or fried. They range from plain and lightly salted to glazed with soy sauce, wrapped in nori, or coated in wasabi or sugar. In Japan they're called senbei (thicker, savory, often soy-glazed) or arare (small, bite-sized pieces, often in snack mixes). Chinese and Southeast Asian versions tend to be lighter and puffier, closer to what's sold in the US simply as "rice crackers."

Varieties

Senbei are thicker, made from uruchi (non-glutinous) rice, and typically savory with soy or seaweed flavors. Arare are smaller, often made from glutinous mochigome rice, and show up in mixed snack bags with peanuts or wasabi peas. Western-style puffed rice crackers (thin, round, plain or lightly salted) are airier and less chewy than either Japanese style.

Buying tips

Check the ingredient list if avoiding gluten: many soy-glazed senbei use regular soy sauce, which contains wheat, so look for a tamari-based or labeled gluten-free version. Give the bag a light squeeze; crackers should feel firm and rigid, not bendable, which signals staleness.

Substitutes

• Rice cakes (the flat, puffed disc kind) — 1:1 by piece

  Much less dense and crunchy, with almost no flavor of their own, but works as a gluten-free base for toppings if rice crackers aren't available.

• Wonton or spring roll wrappers, fried until crisp — 1:1 by piece

  Not gluten-free, but gives a similar thin, shattering crunch for topping with dips or ceviche.

• Wheat crackers or water crackers — 1:1 by piece

  A reasonable stand-in for texture in snack platters, though the flavor is more neutral-savory than the toasty rice flavor of senbei.

• Tortilla chips — 1:1 by piece

  Sturdier and better for scooping dips, but corn flavor is much more assertive than rice.

• Crushed rice crackers as a coating substitute for panko — 1 cup crushed crackers for 1 cup panko

  Crush plain, unglazed rice crackers for a gluten-free breading alternative with a similar light crunch.

Storage

Keep unopened rice crackers in a cool, dry pantry; they'll hold their crunch for months due to their low moisture content. Once opened, transfer to an airtight container or a resealable bag with the air pressed out, since they go soft and stale within a day or two of exposure to humidity. If they've softened, recrisp them in a 300°F oven for 3 to 5 minutes.

How to use

Eat them plain as a snack, serve alongside dips like guacamole or hummus, crush them over salads or poke bowls for crunch, or use plain varieties as a gluten-free cracker base for canapes with cream cheese, smoked fish, or pickled vegetables. Soy-glazed senbei pair well with beer as a bar snack.

What it pairs with

Pairs well with soy sauce, wasabi, pickled ginger, avocado, cream cheese, smoked salmon, and cold beer or sake for savory glazed varieties.

Nutrition

Rice crackers are naturally gluten-free (unless soy sauce with wheat is used in the glaze) and generally lower in fat than fried potato chips, though flavored and glazed varieties can carry as much sodium and sugar as other packaged snacks. Check labels since some brands fry in oil rather than baking.

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