wrapper Sweet
senbei (甘味煎餅) came to Japan during the
Tang dynasty, with the first recorded usage in 737 AD, and still are very similar to Tang traditional styles, originally often baked in the
Kansai area, of which include the traditional "roof tile"
senbei. These include ingredients like potato and wheat flour or
glutinous rice, and are similar to
castella cakes, distinctly different from what most people would consider as
senbei today, though traditional
senbei such as this can still be found, e.g.
Iga meibutsu katayaki, in
Iga City. What Japanese commonly refer to as
senbei nowadays were popularized by a teahouse in
Sōka city in the
Edo period, which spread salty soy sauce flavored
senbei throughout Japan. Modern
senbei versions are very inventive and may include flavorings which can range from
kimchi to
wasabi to
curry to
chocolate.
Kansai senbei tend to use glutinous rice and are lightly seasoned and delicate in texture (
saku saku).
Kantō senbei were originally based on
uruchimai, a non-glutinous rice, and they tend to be more crunchy (
kari kari) and richly flavored. == Types ==