Bonchi Age: Fried Senbei Crackers Popular in Kansai

Senbei (せんべい/煎餅) is a traditional Japanese cracker made from non-glutinous rice called Uruchi-Mai (うるち米), the staple of the Japanese diet, which comes in various types.

Among others, the baked variety Yaki Senbei (焼き煎餅) is the most common. But at supermarkets in Japan, you will also see the deep-fried Age Senbei (揚げ煎餅) and the wet Nure Senbei (濡れ煎餅).

Bonchi Age (ぼんち揚)

As for Age Senbei, while Kabuki Age (歌舞伎揚げ) is the best-known product in the Kanto region, Bonchi Age (ぼんち揚) is the most popular in the Kansai area.

The latter snack was first released in 1960 by the Osaka-based confectionery company Bonchi (ぼんち) under the name of Age Komaru (揚小丸), which the maker changed to Bonchi Age in 1963.

In 2018, the funky white cat named Bonchi Neko (ぼんちネコ) (known as the official mascot character) was born and has since appeared on the packaging. 

By the way, this Bonchi Age has Nissin’s Chicken Ramen flavor, which is why you can also see their yellow chick mascot, Hiyoko Chan (ひよこちゃん), on the bag.

Deep-Fried Rice Crackers

These are Bonchi Age Senbei’s deep-fried rice crackers. They have a light, crunchy texture compared to Kabuki Age, and their taste is mild with a soy sauce flavor.

But they have addicting umami, which makes the snack a long seller in Kansai.

Thanks to the chicken ramen flavoring in the brush-on sauce, these limited edition fries are delightfully savory and much satisfied me.

Here in Niigata, it is a little hard to find Bonchi Age, but I think the Senbei is among the must-try Japanese snacks because of its recognition and deliciousness.

Ingredients/Nutrition Facts

Nutritional Values

(Reference Page: Wikipedia ぼんち揚 )