Crackers + Rice = Crazy Delicious

We all know just how decadent a Japanese meal can be. Think $200 plates of raw fugu, and kaiseki ryouri packed with seasonal vegetables and well-marbled meat. But what’s on the other end of the spectrum?

I saw a Japanese TV show a while back featuring meals people cook when they’re in the poorhouse. My favorite was a guy who crushed soy-flavored rice crackers (“kaki-pi,” to be exact) and sprinkled it over his rice. It sounds like a joke, but it’s actually tasty! If you dare to try it, Takara Tomy has a cool product that takes the work out of making this unlikely topping:

It’s called “Okashina Furikake,” which is a double-entendre meaning “snack-like condiment” and “rice-topping oddity.” It’s a simple device: Just pour in your snack of choice, then push and turn the handle. You can use just about anything: potato chips, pretzels, even cookies.

Speaking of furikake, I did some sleuthing and found it was invented in the early 1900s by a pharmacist who wanted to add more calcium into people’s diet. So he started crushing fish bones and mixed it with sesame seeds and dried seaweed to cover the fishy flavor. The bones have since been replaced by dried egg, vegetables, bonito flakes, and dozens of other yummy ingredients but my people’s love for rice topping has gone unwavered.

Well, it’s about dinner time here and I only have $2 in my pocket. You know what that means…..RICE CRACKER DINNER! \(^o^)/

Himawari

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