Kaki no Tane (Kakipi): All About the Japanese Rice Cracker

“Kaki no Tane (柿の種)”, literally meaning “persimmon seed”, also known as Kameda Crisps or Kakipi, is one of the most famous Japanese rice crackers.

In Japan, the spicy rice snack is commonly served with beer as an “Otsumami (おつまみ)” and often eaten with hot or cold green tea as an afternoon snack or “Oyatsu (おやつ)“.

In fact, Kaki no Tane goes perfectly with beer, for the gas and bitterness of the drink can calm the saltiness and heat of the snack, and this also applies to green tea.

Kaki no Tane (柿の種) and Kakipi (柿ピー)

I am proud of Kaki no Tane because this rice cracker originated in a confectionery company based in Niigata, the prefecture where I was born and grew up.

As its name means “persimmon seed” in Japanese, the cracker Kaki no Tane has an orange color and crescent shape kind of associated with a persimmon seed. It can be made not only from glutinous rice but also from non-glutinous rice.

The rice dough is baked without using oil and traditionally seasoned with soy sauce and red chili pepper, making the resultant cracker savory and a little bit spicy.

The reddish-orange tint basically comes from red chili pepper and food colorings. But some products are made without using any artificial colors.

Kaki no Tane often comes with roasted whole peanuts, and Kakipi stands for Kaki no Tane rice crackers with those nuts. Yes, in the name of Kaki-Pi, Pi is short for peanut.

Origin

First introduced in 1925 by “Naniwaya Seika (浪花屋製菓)“, Kaki no Tane has its roots in a Senbei (a type of rice cracker) that was made using a crushed mold.

Naniwaya Seika is a confectionery company whose head office is in the city of Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture.

Flavors

Canned Kaki no Tane was the mainstream when I was small, but today, the rice cracker is mostly sold in plastic packages and comes in many varieties and flavors.

Among those, wasabi and mayonnaise flavors, chocolate or cheese-coated Kaki no Tane are especially popular in Japan.

In addition to these regular varieties, Kaki no Tane is also available in various unique flavors, such as curry, Umeboshi, Takoyaki, and Yuzu-Kosho.

Manufacturers

Kaki no Tane is one of the most beloved snacks in Japan, so many Japanese confectionery makers are manufacturing it.

And the following 3 companies are especially famous for their Kaki no Tane products.

Naniwaya Seika (naniwayaseika.co.jp)

As I mentioned above, Naniwaya Seika is the first company that made Kaki no Tane. So their Kaki no Tane products have the word “Ganso (元祖: originator)” in the name.

Kameda Seika (kamedaseika.co.jp)

Kameda Seika, headquartered in Niigata City, is a leading confectionery maker well-known for its Senbei and other snack products. The Kaki no Tane sold in the United States “Kameda Crisps” is marketed by this company.

Minoya Arare (minoya-arare.com)

Minoya Arare is a confectionery company located in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. Tomoe Brand’s Hot Kakidane Arare sold in Hawaii has its roots in the Kakipi of Minoya Arare.

Recommended Kaki no Tane Products

Super Spicy Kaki no Tane	Naniwaya Seika Original Canned Kaki no Tane	Tokai Region Limited Assorted Kaki no Tane
Recommended to those who favor super spicy snacks. Don’t try this Kaki no Tane if you don’t like spicy stuff.	The original Kaki no Tane from Naniwaya Seika. It is a canned Kaki no Tane from the old days.	This product is from Kameda Seika, made up of 4 flavors: regular Kaki no Tane, shrimp, Hitsumabushi, and special wasabi.
Amazon.co.jp	Amazon.co.jp	Amazon.co.jp

Recommended Recipe using Kaki no Tane

I introduced these recipes before for people who don’t like natto (fermented soybeans). Actually, Kaki no Tane also goes well with natto. I know it sounds crazy, but if you try the below recipe once, you will probably like it.

(Source: Rakuten Recipe)

Kaki no Tane and Natto

Ingredient	Quantity
Natto	One pack
Accompanying soy sauce	One packet
Mayonnaise	About 1 cm
Kaki no Tane (Kameda Crisps)	1 rounded tablespoon
Shredded Nori seaweed	A proper amount
Parched sesame seeds	A small amount

1. Put the soy sauce and mayo in a pack of natto
2. Break the Kaki no Tane crackers into small pieces using hands, add to the pack, and stir well
3. Serve the natto on a plate. Before eating, sprinkle Nori shreds and parched sesame seeds
4. Enjoy!

(Reference page: Wikipedia 柿の種 )