Kakimochi vs Okaki: Japanese Rice Crackers
When it comes to traditional Japanese rice crackers, as you know, Senbei, Okaki, and Arare have a long history and are the most common varieties.
But have you ever heard that, in addition to them, Japan has one more commonly eaten traditional rice snack?
How Kakimochi differs from Okaki?
The Japanese treat is called “Kakimochi (かき餅)”, which is actually very similar to Okaki. So many people can’t clearly tell the difference between them, which is why today let me explain that.
Okaki (おかき)
First off, as I mentioned above, Okaki is one of the 3 representative types of Japanese rice crackers, together with Senbei and Arare.
In the making of traditional Okaki, the rice cake “Mochi (餅)” is first cut into small, bite-size pieces, and then the Mochi pieces are dried and baked.
By the way, the one made by deep-frying the rice dough in oil, instead of baking, is generally called “Age Okaki (揚げおかき)”.
Kakimochi (かき餅)
As with Okaki crackers, Kakimochi is made of Mochi rice cake or “Mochi-Gome (餅米)” glutinous rice, and the production process is also basically the same as that of Okaki.
As for the difference, Kakimochi is thin in thickness compared to average Okaki crackers, and its uncooked rice dough is shaped like a sea cucumber.
However, as shown by the fact that Okaki is also called Kakimochi, it can be said that these Japanese rice crackers are essentially the same thing.
In a nutshell, if Kakimochi and Okaki are distinguished, the primary difference between them comes from thickness and shape.
Comparison Table
| Type | Size | Main Ingredient |
|---|---|---|
| Senbei | Large | Non-glutinous Rice “Uruchi-Mai (うるち米)” |
| Okaki | Relatively Small | Glutinous Rice “Mochi-Gome (餅米)” |
| Kakimochi | Relatively Small, Thin, Sea cucumber-like shaped | Glutinous Rice “Mochi-Gome (餅米)” |
| Arare | Small | Glutinous Rice “Mochi-Gome (餅米)” |
Lastly, here is the comparison table of the 4 types of Japanese rice crackers, Senbei, Okaki, Kakimochi, and Arare.
By the way, if you want to know the specific differences between Senbei, Okaki, and Arare, this article will help.
(Reference Pages: Wikipedia おかき, Kotobank かき餅 )
