Foods and Culture 2025
2026年1月16日金曜日
Dear all,
Here is the link.
I come to know OPLATKY at the same time!
QooQ
Thank you, Ayaka San, for your detailed presentation. I would like to ask you a few questions:
返信削除1. Why is Tansan Senbei particularly associated with Arima Onsen?
2. How does the use of carbonated mineral water affect the light and crispy texture of Tansan Senbei?
3. What physicochemical changes occur during baking that contribute to the porous structure of Tansan Senbei?
Thank you for your question!
削除1. According to the official website for Tansan Senbei, they originated during the Meiji period, when the carbonated spring water "Ginsen" from Arima Onsen, which contains carbon dioxide, was used to make Senbei. People in the past feared that the water was poisonous after seeing birds and insects dying from the carbon dioxide gas emitted from the spring. However, a survey by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 1875 revealed that the water was of high quality and suitable for both drinking and bathing. Apparently, people enjoyed making cider by adding sugar to the carbonated water, which flows year-round at a temperature of around 18 degrees Celsius. Cider is still widely sold in Arima Onsen town today. It was cold when I visited, so I didn't drink it, though.
2. I looked into this myself, but I couldn't find much information. However, when I ate fresh Tansan Senbei there, I remember feeling a few air bubbles in the dough. The air bubbles cause the dough to rise, and if the bubbles are strong enough, they may contribute to the crispy texture.
3. What physicochemical changes occur during baking that contribute to the porous structure of carbonated rice crackers?
I looked into this question as well, but I couldn't find much detail. However, I did find a description of repeated attempts to make Tansan Senbei. Apparently, if they were made with thick dough, the Senbei would expand too much, resulting in thick, large Senbei that were hard and not very tasty. Using a thinner dough allows the heat to be transferred instantly, and the carbon dioxide expands, making them crispy.
I'm sorry if this explanation is difficult to understand.
Thank you for introducing tansan senbei. I was only familiar with rice senbei, so learning about the others was really interesting. Are visitors able to watch how tansan senbei is made in the shop? I’d love to try it someday.
返信削除Thank you for your question.
削除The shop in Arima Onsen town has a space where artisans bake each rice cracker individually, allowing you to watch them being baked up close. Freshly baked rice crackers are warm and delicious. As I mentioned in my presentation, the dough is soft and delicious within 5 seconds of being baked, before it hardens.
I researched and found that factory tours used to be available, but they appear to have been discontinued. Maybe it was due to the coronavirus. I hope it will be revived.
"I’ve only just learned about 'Tansan Senbei'. After seeing gaufres, I can imagine their flavor profile. I'm particularly intrigued by the texture when they are freshly made, which makes me want to visit the shop in person.
返信削除Does the carbonated water play a key role in creating that specific crunch? I also noticed that, unlike standard Japanese rice crackers, these wheat-based carbonated crackers are more popular than rice crackers in that specific region？
Thank you for reading my presentation.
削除It seems that the texture of Tansan Senbei is greatly influenced by the carbonated water. Heating the carbon dioxide causes the dough to expand, and the bubbles that form may contribute to the crispy texture.
Thank you very much for your interesting presentation.
返信削除I learned about tansan senbei for the first time, and its texture looks very light and easy to eat.
I feel like I could eat many pieces at once (haha).
I am curious about three points:
1. Based on your visit to Hyogo Prefecture, which production method is currently more common for tansan senbei: handmade or machine-made?
2. Has tansan senbei evolved over time to adapt to modern preferences, for example by having fillings sandwiched between two tansan senbei?
3. On slide 5, you mentioned a “secret seasoning” absorbed into the rice senbei. Could you give an example of what kind of seasoning this might be?
I’m looking forward to your feedback. Thank you! :)
Thank you for your question.
削除1. Souvenirs and other items require mass production, so it seems they are generally baked by machine.
2. When I went to a souvenir shop, I saw products where Tansan Senbei were stacked like gaufres, with chocolate, matcha, or strawberry-flavored cream sandwiched in between. As you say, it seems some products cater to modern tastes.
3. I wrote "secret seasoning" because that's what it says on the website of the company that produces the rice crackers. I think it's a trade secret. I think they probably use a soy-sauce-based sauce, but I don't know any more than that 😂.
Thank you for your presentation on Tansan Senbei!
返信削除They are light, and I could probably eat lots of them. Reading the presentation really made me want to try them.
Nama Tansan Senbei looks so delicious, too! I was amazed at how soft it was when freshly baked.
Can I only eat Nama Tansan Senbei if they are handmade, not machine-made?
Also, are there differences, such as taste and texture, in Tansan Senbei depending on the shop?
Thank you for your question.
削除Nama Tansan Senbei are baked one by one by artisans in a corner of the souvenir shop, making them practically handmade. Also, since they only have a shelf life of five seconds, I think that if they were to bake them in large quantities by machine, there wouldn't be enough manpower, and they would end up being ordinary Tansan Senbei.
I didn't realize that the taste and texture would vary depending on the store. After doing some research, I found that there are four long-established stores in Arima Onsen, each with its own unique twist. While all authentic Tansan Senbei are probably made the same way, each store seems to have its own unique twist, creating a product that is unique to that store and relevant today. If I have the opportunity to visit Arima Onsen, it might be fun to buy Tansan Senbei from each store and compare them. Thank you!
I learned about carbonated senbei for the first time through your presentation slides. I found it very intriguing.
返信削除As you mentioned, the design of Arima Senbei, which is a type of carbonated senbei, really does resemble a gaufrette. Given the background of its product development, do you think there may have been an aspiration toward gaufrettes?
After some research, I found out that Tansan Senbei were made around 1916, while gaufres were made in 1927. Therefore, Tansan Senbei were made first.
削除