-
1
Grind aged dry rice to a fine flour. Steam the flour, then pound the resulting mass — this process differs from mochi-pounding and must not be confused with it. The dough is ready when it is uniform, cohesive, and holds a disc shape without cracking at the edges.
-
2
Form the dough into thin or thick discs according to style: thicker for Kanto soy-style, more delicate for Kyoto okaki style using glutinous rice. Set the discs on a rack and dry thoroughly until no surface moisture remains. The disc is ready when it resists finger pressure without leaving an impression and sounds hollow when tapped.
-
3
This is where the dish lives or dies. Grill the dried discs over binchotan charcoal, flipping every 30 seconds for even colour. Every 2 minutes, brush a thin, even layer of soy sauce across the surface. Repeat at each interval — too much soy applied at once creates soggy patches rather than an even glaze; too little produces a pale, flavourless skin. Continue until each side carries multiple lacquered layers of deep amber glaze and the cracker is fully rigid.
-
4
For nori senbei: immediately upon removing from the grill, wrap a band of nori around the hot cracker. The residual heat seals the nori flush to the surface. The nori is correctly set when it lies flat and does not lift at the edges on cooling.
-
5
Cool completely on a rack. The finished senbei must be fully crisp throughout — any softness indicates insufficient drying before grilling or insufficient grilling time. Store immediately in a dry tin with silica gel; humidity will soften senbei within hours.