How Japanese Rice Crackers Are Made
Traditional Senbei and Okaki Production Techniques
Table of Contents
- Introduction: How Japanese Rice Crackers Are Made
- Selecting the Rice for Japanese Rice Crackers
- Balancing Moisture in Japanese Rice Cracker Production
- How Senbei Are Made (Uruchi Rice Crackers)
- How Okaki Are Made (Mochi Rice Crackers)
- Managing Starch Transformation
- The Three Stages of Baking
- Seasoning and Flavoring
- Quality Control and Packaging
- How Texture Is Created in Japanese Rice Crackers
- From Grain to Final Bite
- Explore the BEIKA MOCHI Rice Cracker Collection
- Frequently Asked Questions
Introduction: How Japanese Rice Crackers Are Made
Japanese rice crackers, known collectively as beika (米菓), may seem simple at first glance. Yet the process behind how Japanese rice crackers are made is precise, technical, and rooted in centuries of tradition. From selecting the right rice to controlling moisture and heat, every stage of Japanese rice cracker production influences the final texture and flavor.
Understanding the rice cracker production process helps explain why their textures can range from crisp and light to deeply crunchy and satisfying.
Selecting the Rice for Japanese Rice Crackers
The type of rice used determines everything that follows.
Senbei are made from uruchi rice, the same non-glutinous rice typically eaten as steamed rice with meals. It contains less surface stickiness and forms a firm, structured dough.
Okaki and arare are made from mochi rice (glutinous rice), the same rice used for traditional mochi. Mochi rice contains more amylopectin, allowing it to stretch and expand differently when exposed to heat and pressure.
These two rice types create entirely different foundations.
At Iwatsuka Seika, rice is delivered twice daily. By keeping warehouse inventory low, freshly milled Japanese rice can be used continuously. Because the rice is domestically sourced, transport time is short, which helps preserve aroma and natural flavor.
Freshly milled rice has a fragrance and depth that diminish with age. This commitment to 100% Japanese rice is foundational and directly affects taste, texture, and structure.
Balancing Moisture in Japanese Rice Cracker Production
After arrival, the rice is washed and soaked.
This stage is essential. The outer surface and inner core of each grain absorb water at different speeds. Soaking ensures moisture distributes evenly before steaming.
Uruchi rice typically soaks for several hours. Mochi rice requires longer hydration. The goal is consistency, even moisture allows predictable transformation during steaming and kneading.
Managing hydration is one of the most important foundations in rice cracker production.
How Senbei Are Made (Uruchi Rice Crackers)
For senbei, soaked uruchi rice is first milled into flour.
At Iwatsuka Seika, in-house milling machines are used to minimize heat during grinding. Milling normally creates friction heat that can reduce aroma. By limiting heat, the natural fragrance of freshly milled rice is preserved.
The rice flour is then steamed and kneaded into a smooth dough. This kneading and hydration process may be repeated multiple times to achieve the ideal balance of elasticity and firmness.
For varieties such as Black Bean Senbei, steamed black beans are added during kneading. The dough is then rolled to precise thickness, cut into shape, and dried.
After initial drying, it rests to allow internal and external moisture levels to stabilize before baking.
How Okaki Are Made (Mochi Rice Crackers)
Okaki follows a different path from the beginning.
Instead of milling into flour first, mochi rice is steamed as whole grains, much like traditional mochi making. Steaming whole grains allows the structure and flavor of the rice to remain intact.
The steamed rice is then kneaded into mochi. In some products, multiple kneading stages are used to adjust smoothness and elasticity. For items like Mame Mochi, roasted soybeans are added into the mochi during kneading.
The soft mochi dough is molded into blocks and rapidly cooled. Rapid cooling is especially important. Unlike some mochi products that rest for days, certain okaki products are cooled for only a short time to control starch retrogradation, the process that firms the structure. By limiting excessive aging, a softer internal structure can be preserved.
While still soft, the dough is cut using specialized blades lightly coated with water. This allows clean cutting without damaging the structure.
After cutting, the pieces move into a drying stage before baking.
From the beginning, senbei and okaki are fundamentally different in how their structure is formed.
Managing Starch Transformation
Drying is not simply about removing water. It is about controlling how starch transforms.
When rice is heated with water, starch undergoes gelatinization, granules swell and absorb moisture. As the product cools and dries, retrogradation begins, reorganizing starch molecules into a firmer structure.
The balance between these two processes determines texture.
By adjusting drying time, resting periods, humidity, and temperature, manufacturers can guide whether a rice cracker becomes firm, delicate, deeply crunchy, or surprisingly light.
This careful regulation of heat and internal moisture levels is central to the beika manufacturing process.
The Three Stages of Baking
Rice cracker baking typically follows three stages:
Preheating softens the structure and prepares the dough for expansion.
Pressure baking rapidly increases internal temperature. Moisture inside turns to steam, expanding the dough and creating structure.
Coloring adds the golden finish and deepens aroma through surface browning.
Some products repeat heating and cooling cycles multiple times. Others, like Kinako, skip the coloring stage entirely because the dough contains sugar and salt and does not require browning.
Even slight changes in temperature or airflow can significantly affect the final texture.
Seasoning and Flavoring
After baking, seasoning is applied.
For certain senbei, seasoned oil is applied using a shower method from above and below. For mochi-based crackers, pieces may be immersed longer in oil mixed with salt or soy seasoning, as mochi-based structures absorb flavor differently.
The crackers are gently rotated in drums to distribute seasoning evenly. Excess oil is drained before cooling and packaging.
Texture and flavor are inseparable, structure determines how seasoning is absorbed and experienced.
Quality Control and Packaging
Before packaging, rice crackers are inspected both visually and mechanically.
Imaging systems count and weigh pieces to ensure consistency. Dedicated quality control personnel monitor color standards and remove pieces that fall outside specifications.
Packaging protects against moisture, oxidation, and breakage, helping preserve the texture achieved during baking.
How Texture Is Created in Japanese Rice Crackers
It is common to describe senbei as firm and okaki as light or airy. But in practice, texture is far more flexible.
Within senbei, Black Bean can deliver a hearty, structured bite, while Butter or Kinako Mochi can be surprisingly gentle. Within okaki, Mame Mochi can feel softer and layered, while Teriyaki offers a distinctly crunchy, satisfying texture.
Rice type creates the foundation. But technique, kneading, cooling, drying, baking, and moisture control, determines how far each style can be taken.
The ability to create such a wide range of textures from rice alone is not accidental. It reflects a deep understanding of starch behavior and decades of refinement in equipment and process.
From Grain to Final Bite
Japanese rice crackers may appear simple. But behind each piece is a carefully controlled transformation.
It begins with freshly milled Japanese rice. It goes through hydration, kneading, shaping, drying, and baking. Then, it finishes with seasoning and careful inspection.
Beika is what happens when technique is applied with precision to one of Japan’s most fundamental ingredients.
And that is how Japanese rice crackers are made.
Explore the BEIKA MOCHI Rice Cracker Collection
Discover how these traditional techniques translate into modern craftsmanship by exploring our BEIKA MOCHI rice cracker collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are Japanese rice crackers made?
Japanese rice crackers are made by steaming rice, shaping it, drying it, and baking or grilling it. The exact method depends on whether the cracker is senbei (uruchi rice) or okaki and arare (mochi rice).
What is the difference between senbei and okaki?
Senbei is made from uruchi rice that is milled into flour before shaping and baking.
Okaki is made from whole mochi rice that is steamed into mochi, dried, cut, and then baked.
Why is moisture important in rice cracker production?
Moisture control determines how starch transforms during drying and baking, which directly affects texture, from crisp to deeply crunchy.
Are Japanese rice crackers baked or fried?
Traditional senbei and okaki are typically baked or grilled, not deep-fried.