Kotsubukko: Sweet & Small Fried Rice Crackers from Kameda
The prefecture where I live, Niigata (新潟), is Japan’s largest producer of rice, and its specialties include Sake (酒) and Senbei (煎餅).
Here, there are several nationally famous rice cracker manufacturers, and Kameda Seika (亀田製菓) is among them, whose popular products include Age Ichiban, Happy Turn, and this Kotsubukko.
Kameda Kotsubukko (亀田 こつぶっこ)
From the drawings on the package front, I think Kameda Kotsubukko is a snack marketed mainly toward children.
It is a deep-fried rice cracker released in 1982 and classified as Age Senbei (揚げ煎餅).
The bag contains four small packs of fried rice crackers.
These golden-brown treats look kind of similar to the Kabukiage (歌舞伎揚) rice crackers due to their uneven surface.
But compared to the latter, the former snack is small and bite-sized, as Kotsubu (こつぶ/小粒) means small grain/piece in Japanese.
Taste
Kotsubukko is savory soy sauce-favored but accented with honey, which adds a gentle sweetness.
Since these crackers are deep-fried, they have a pleasantly crunchy texture. Plus, the taste is light and so well-balanced that everyone can like it.
Ingredients/Nutrition Facts
Lastly, let’s see the ingredients and nutrition facts of the Kameda Kotsubukko Senbei.
| Non-glutinous Uruchi rice, Vegetable oil, Soy sauce (including Wheat and Soybean), Sugar, Honey, Starch, Isomaltooligosaccharide, Spice, Powdered soy sauce, Salt, Modified starch, Shell calcium, Seasoning (including Amino acid), Caramel pigment, Paprika pigment, Trehalose |
Nutritional Values
| Calories | 143 kcal |
| Protein | 1.3 g |
| Fat | 8.0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 16.4 g |
| Salt equivalents | 0.52 g |
| Calcium | 94 mg |
