Matsuzaki senbei was founded in 1804. Having overcome challenges throughout history, including destruction during the Great Kanto Earthquake and Wo2, the company is now led by the 8th generation of the Matsuzaki family, who is determined to continue his family's legacy by creating delicious, clean snacks through traditional production processes. They aim not to waste any ingredients by creating their snacks in small batches and with careful stock management. Despite a changing food culture, they manage to succesfully continue their business in traditional Japanese sweets domestically and abroad.
Senbei crackers are part of the Japanese food culture and are often served together with green thee.
Most Senbei are made from rice flour, but there are also varieties based on wheat, fish or shrimp. Traditionally, they are baked, grilled or roasted over charcoal, while brushing them with soy sauce, ‘mirin’ and a sometimes an additional characteristic sauce. They are often wrapped in Nori seaweed to complement the taste and look.
Nowadays, they can be found in many creative forms and shapes, including curry flavour, a fish bone base and even chocolate! Senbei have gained popularity abroad as a low-calorie and savoury snack, but few people have experienced the difference between industrial and traditionally-made Senbei.
Matsuzaki Senbei Types
Arare Senbei: Made with the highest quality ingredients and the utmost care, traditional arare senbei are carefully baked and individually flavored. Made with glutinous rice and flavored with soy sauce, each flavor adds their own unique style - a great alternative to mass-produced Western snacks.
Honmaru Senbei: Baked one by one to ensure crispness and excellent flavor balance, "honmaru" senbei use a thicker dough for a strong bite and a harder texture for those who enjoy a crisp.
Nishinomaru Senbei: The Nishinomaru crackers are thin and have a wavy finish.
Mochi Okaki Senbei: Baked and individually flavored, the okaki crackers are made by pounding freshly steamed rice into a paste, shaping them into crackers and then drying and baking them.
SHAMIDO Kawara Senbei: Crackers made of wheat and shaped like a tile. They are decorated with motifs, which the experienced craftsmen of Matsuzaki Senbei carefully paints on the smooth surface. They are crunchy, but easy to bite and have a nice sweet flavor.
The video below shows how Matsuzaki paint their SHAMIDO senbei one by one. They create custom and limited edition designs to celebrate seasons, public holidays, cute characters and company logos.
