There are several varieties of Japanese rice crackers, which have have been explained before, but the main differences I’ve found in these crackers are in appearance and texture, not flavor. Sad but true.

On a very subtle level, there are different flavors, such as nori, cheese, “spicy”, wasabi, soy sauce; and even sweetened crackers. But these are very subtle and a clean palate is a must in discerning some of the flavors.

Since I’ve set myself on a quest for the most awe-inspiring sembei two years ago, I’ve been repeatedly let down. Nothing really stands out and says “OMG! Aren’t these just the best damn sembei EVA?!!”

The packaging for today’s sembei seems somehow more inviting and “mature” than other sembei bags. It seems to say, “Gimme a try; I’m different!” Rigghhht. Well, fine, since you’re only $1.99, Nagisa Age, you can come home with me, but you better live up to being a sembei apart!

While I’m not sure what Nagisa, Japanese for “beach”, has to do with crackers (perhaps an allusion due to its rippled appearance?) I do know from my culinary adventures that Age means fried. Hmmm, fried crackers…sounds promising.

The crackers look dark and crunchy; the soy sauce glaze is quite apparent. Still, even though soy as a sembei flavor has been used to death, they are fried, and since I rarely eat fried foods, this will surely be a treat, right?

Ho-hum these crackers aren’t so different as their brethren after all. The nagisa age are very crunchy- a plus- but very salty-a negative.

They’re not, bad but they’re still underwhelming. I must say, I love the texture, which is harder (however, they’re not like stale sembei, which are hard and nasty) and crisper than other crackers. The lumpy, nagisa-esque exterior adds to the pleasant texture. The soy flavor, though, is absolutely boring.

The flavor is that of any other senbei or arare, but with a much stronger emphasis on the soy and hella salty. No hint of sweet like okaki; the salt kills any other actual flavor. A picture on the back packaging suggests using these on top of noodles; seems a much better idea than eating these straight from the bag.

If I were a bar tender, I’d make sure I had a ton of these to offer customers. Cause after eating just a handful, I’m so thirsty, I’d drink just about anything to quench the parchness. Oh well, tried yet another rice cracker and wasn’t impressed. Maybe they do all taste alike.

TEXTURE: FLAVOR: APPEARANCE: PACKAGING:

Giving Nagisa Age an average of:

If you’re a foodie, like me, and you’re interested in Japanese cuisine as either a hobby or a way of life, you’ve probably already done your homework on the ingredients and appliances used in traditional Japanese cooking. And if you don’t have access to authentic Japanese ingredients, you’ve probably learned which Western substitutes work best with a traditional recipe.

If you’re still gun-shy in regards to Japanese food; no worries, it’ll all become second nature in time. For now, test how much you think, or don’t think, you know with The Anime Blog’s Quiz for fan’s of Japanese cuisine!

(Answers and foodie lore are given below the quiz. The quiz is off site but come back to rate your score and see how you did!!! No peeking until you’re done!)

Rate your score!

• 100-90%= Sugoi!! You can cook with me any day itamae dono!
• 89-80%= Yatta! Feels good to know your goma from your gari, ne?
• 79-60%= Genki. If you can tell the difference between anko and kinako, that’s none too shabby.
• 59-40%= Ma-ma. Uh-oh, maybe you should cook Japanese more often.
• Below 40%= Baka! Before you can become a Japanese foodie master, you must learn that a world of food exists outside Pocky and Pretz.

1.) True. Washoku, as denoted by the prefix wa-, is used in reference to more traditional ways of Japanese cooking, such as cooking oden and sukiyaki.

2.) False. Although goma is Japanese for sesame, the mame (bean) in front of it turns the phrase into a popularized term for “seal” which was coined for cutesy seal characters created by San-X. Mamegoma Honobono Nikki is a game for the Nintendo DS featuring adorable baby seals. Kawaii!

3.) True. Shiro miso (white miso) is less salty, more mild, and sweeter than red or yellow miso. It’s used as a filling in some wagashi including hanabiramochi.

4.) False. Shabu shabu is a one-pot meat entree made at the table in a pot of boiling broth. Very thinly sliced meat is dunked in the broth and stirred back and forth with chopsticks till it’s barely colored. This back and forth creates a “swish swish” sound which translates into “shabu shabu”.

5.) True. Not much land for grazing in Japan and why bother when there’s plenty of fish to harvest which don’t need to be fed or cared for? During Japan’s early years, it was a faux pas to eat the meat of four-legged animals, due in part to Buddhism. Meat eating only became en vogue during the Meiji Restoration.

6.) False. While Osaka is famous for many tasty goodies (takoyaki and okonomiyaki to name a couple) , kuro sato, aka, black sugar isn’t on the list. Okinawa has the honor of being known for black sugar. Many kurosato ame (black sugar candies) producers make sure Okinawa is prominently displayed on the candy’s packaging as a key selling point. What makes Okinawan black sugar so famous, I wonder?

7.) True. Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is made in layers: ingredients, batter, ingredients, batter, etc. All the ingredients for the okonokiyaki are added to the batter for Kansai-style. Most people will argue over how to correctly make okonomiyaki, just like many people argue over to correctly make pizza (St. Louis style “pizza”, is NOT pizza, FYI).

8.) False. While both gari and beni shoga are types of pickled ginger, they differ in taste and creation. Gari is sweet and tart and is made with a sweetened vinegar solution. Beni shoga is salty and sour and is made with ume-su (a vinegar made from plums).

9.) True. Castella cakes, cheesecake (chizukeki) and doughnuts (do-natsu), all were originally created overseas and have been given a new twist as lighter, less sweet Japanese variations, aka yogashi.

10.) False. Close but no wagashi. While most Japanese sweets are made with mochi flour (-ko), ohagi and botamochi are made using mochi goma (whole glutinous rice).

11.) False. Kabocha is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, which also includes in its ranks, pumpkins and gourds. Kabocha is also known to the world as “Japanese pumpkin”, not Japanese potato.

12.) True. In the Yubari region, melons, similar to honeydew and cantaloupe, are precisely cultivated and can sell for over $100, depending on their quality. Watermelons also fetch upwards to $25, for an average melon. Unlike Americans who groan at the thought of receiving a fruit gift basket, Japanese consider high quality fruit to be an excellent gift idea. $100 for a melon, or $100 for some Godiva? I guess it depends on where you’re from…

13.) True. Tsubushi-an is a chunky, whole bean variety of anko (sweetened adzuki bean paste) and koshi-an is a smooth, refined, sweetened bean paste. Both are used in making wagashi.

14.) False. A suribachi is one part of the Japanese mortar and pestle. The mortar (suribachi) is made from ceramic and has fine ridges on the inside. The pestle, called a surikogi, is made from wood. Suribachi and surikogi are used to grind sesame seeds and to make pastes. Making dashi no moto (seaweed and bonito broth) does not require the use of a mortar and pestle.

15.) False. Thank the Portuguese for tempura. The Portuguese originally brought over fried foods to Japan in the 1600’s. The Japanese term “tempura” is derived from Quator Tempora, “the four times”, which were days the Portuguese missionaries abstained from eating meat. During these fasting days, the Portuguese would eat fried seafood and vegetables instead of other meats. The Japanese adopted this practice of frying foods, and tempura became popular in the 1700’s as a snack food.

16.) True. Daifuku- Japanese sweet cakes made from pounded glutinous rice and traditionally filled with sweet bean paste- are made with all manner of fillings these days. Melon daifuku is a combination of all things good: Gooey rice and sweet melon.

17.) False. Matcha is actually quite pricey compared to other teas. It’s a powdered green tea traditionally used in the chanoyu, (Japanese tea ceremony) but is also used to color and flavor mochi, noodles and ice cream.

18.) True. Marron is French for chestnut and the Japanese have adopted the word into their food term repertoire. Kuri, is the Japanese word for chestnut, however.

19.) True. Kanten, aka, agar agar, is used in a variety of sweets but is also is part of a modern diet fad in Japan. Since kanten has zero calories and is high in fiber, many Japanese eat it as a weight loss food. People who’ve been on the kanten diet claim it’s helped them lose pesky pounds they weren’t able to prior to the diet.

20.) False. Satsumaimo, sweet potatoes, are in season during the fall months, not the summer months.

21.) False. Although yatsuhashi is a type of miyagegashi (souvenir sweet), it’s place of origin is Kyoto, not Nagano. Yatsuhashi is a wagashi made either baked and formed into shingles, or is uncooked and formed into triangles and filled with bean paste. Both variations of yatsuhashi are flavored with cinnamon, or sometimes ginger.

22.) True. Soba noodles must have at least 30% of their bulk composed of buckwheat flour to be considered soba.

23.) True. Abura age, fried tofu pouches, are much coveted by mischievous kitsune (fox spirits).

24.) False. Hijiki, wakame and kombu are all seaweed used in Japanese cooking. Wakame is most commonly used in miso soup and kombu is integral to dashi, which in turn is integral to many Japanese meals.

25.) True. Mushi means “steam”. Sake mushi and chawan mushi are both examples of steamed dishes.

26.) False. Shoyu is “soy sauce” and the Japanese use soy sauce in just about everything. Japanese use soy sauce in a similar manner Westerners use salt: to cook and to season foods with.

27.) True. Much like Western healthy eating concepts which state to eat multiple colors of food to stay fit, the Japanese believe that eating much in the same manner at every meal will ensure good health. “Black” foods also encompass foods which are brown or purple.

28.) True. Udon are popular noodles used in a variety of dishes. They’re fairly hefty and very filling.

29.) False. Kinako is roasted whole soy bean flour. It has a nutty flavor similar to peanut powder but is sweeter than peanut powder. Kinako is a popular wagashi ingredient.

30.) False. The Japanese practice “hara hachi bu“: eating until you are 80% full, not 60%.