Arare (food)

Arare (あられ, pronounced , lit. hailstones) is a type of bite-sized Japanese cracker made from glutinous rice and flavored with soy sauce. The size and shapes are what distinguish arare from senbei.Arare originated in Japan and was brought to the U.S. by Japanese immigrants who came as plantation workers in the early 1900s. In Hawaii, the snack is often called kakimochi (fried rice paste) or mochi crunch. There are many different sizes, colors, and shapes of arare. Some are sweet, and others savory. One, called norimaki arare (nori=an edible seaweed foodstuff in the form of a dried sheet; maki=roll shape) is wrapped with dried nori seaweed. Another, , takes its name from its resemblance to a persimmon seed. (Kaki is Japanese for "persimmon".) Kakinotane are often sold with peanuts, a combination called . These are a popular snack to accompany Japanese beer.
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