These are the Yamashiro Omusubi Kororin, named after the Japanese folktale Omusubi Kororin. The story recounts the adventures of a kind old man who drops a rice ball into a hole, leading him to a world of friendly mice who reward his generosity with treasures. In contrast, a greedy neighbour, attempting to mimic his fortune, mistreats the mice and is met with misfortune. The tale conveys themes of kindness, humility, and the consequences of greed.
Each cracker, made with rice flour from Aomori Prefecture, was shaped like a rounded triangle with a perpendicular height of approximately 9 cm and a thickness of 0.4–0.5 cm.
Ebi Shio. This variety featured a tan-hued cracker speckled with red, beige, and green flecks of ebi, white sesame, and aonori.
The initial taste was subtly sweet, with a pronounced ebi flavour emerging as the cracker was chewed. The aonori enhanced the seafood profile, while the sesame seeds contributed a nutty crunch. The powdered ebi in the dough imparted a softer, more biscuit-like texture rather than the typical snappy crispness of senbei.
Miso. This flavour offered a brown-hued cracker, glazed with miso, and dotted with toasted white sesame and occasional black sesame seeds.
The initial flavour was mild and grain-like, but as the cracker was chewed, the sesame seeds released a rich nuttiness and mellow sweetness, which developed into a robust roasted savouriness. The miso presence was most notable in the finish, delivering a lingering umami with a sweet miso character. This cracker offered the satisfying snappy crispness expected of senbei. This was D’s favourite of the three.
Shōyu. This variety featured a brown-hued cracker glazed with soy sauce and flecked with black sesame and a few white sesame seeds.
The initial flavour from the shōyu glaze was deeply savoury, balanced by the nuttiness of sesame seeds. A hint of sweetness accompanied the roasted sesame, with the flavour nearing but not crossing into bitterness. This enhanced the cracker’s depth while maintaining the same snappy crispness as the Miso variety. The soy sauce’s umami richness, paired with the aromatic black sesame, made this my favourite of the three.
These Yamashiro Omusubi Kororin contained 1 piece each (ebi shio 13 g, miso 14 g, shōyu 14 g). They were produced in Japan and purchased in Aomori, Japan in 2024.