Soft Mame Mochi: Iwatsuka’s Long-Selling Rice Cracker

As you may know, Senbei, Okaki, and Arare are the three major types of rice crackers most familiar to us Japanese.

Although these snacks traditionally have a crunchy tough bite, in modern times, they come in various varieties, and some are soft.

For example, Echigo Seika’s Funwari Meijin features its super fluffy texture, and when you put the snack in your mouth, it instantly melts away.

Iwatsuka Seika Soft Mame Mochi

And today, I purchased this Soft Mame Mochi (ソフト豆もち) from Iwatsuka Seika Confectionery as another example of such modern Japanese rice crackers.

But when you hear the name, you may wonder, what is Mame Mochi (豆もち)?

Mame Mochi (豆餅/豆もち)

In the name, Mame (豆) means bean, while Mochi (餅) refers to a plain rice cake. And Mame Mochi is a type of Mochi in which black soybeans are embedded.

As with other Mochi, you need to toast it before eating. While cooking, the rice cake swells and becomes soft and sticky. We eat the baked one usually with soy sauce.

Soft Mame Mochi Rice Cracker 

Let’s get back to the main subject. As you can see in the photo, these Soft Mame Mochi looks like toasted traditional ones. 

But they are neither sticky nor stretchy and have a light, fluffy texture. These snacks are lightly salted and baked so savory that I can not get enough of eating them!

Where to Buy

With a long history, the Iwatsuka Seika Soft Mame Mochi is one of the rice crackers most loved in Japan. It is available in many supermarkets around the country.

Ingredients/Nutrition Facts

Nutritional Values