| Product: |
Sakata Rice Crackers |
| Date: |
03/04/03 (454 review reads) |
| Rating: |
 |
Advantages: low fat, tasty
Disadvantages: delicate and break easily in transit
One of my favourite savoury snacks has always been Japanese Rice Crackers; those multi-shaped crunchy snacks, which go so well with Saki or beer. Unfortunately, when I say they are my favourite, I mean most of them. There are one or two varieties in the mixture that I'm not too keen on. This is alright if you happen to be sharing a pack with someone who likes the ones you don't. It's not so satisfying though if you are left with all the green ones in the bottom of the bag once you've scoffed all the good ones.
Imagine my delight then, when I stumbled upon Sakata Rice Crackers. The first variety I found were the Seaweed flavoured ones, which looked to be a pack full of the flavour I love so much, and not a green one in sight. Unlike the mixed bags, these are flat and circular like a traditional cracker. The 100g pack consists of a plastic tray divided into 4 compartments. The crackers are stacked inside these and the whole lot packaged in cellophane. You can see the crackers through the packaging. They looked plausible, with the same caramel colour from baked-on soy sauce and flecks of seaweed, so I took some home to try. I wasn't disappointed.
Rice crackers tend to be associated with the Orient, and the name Sakata betrays the Japanese origins of the company which makes these crackers. However, nowadays, the Sakata crackers we get in the UK are made in Australia. Like me, you probably don't really think of Australia as a traditional rice-growing country. However, it seems that the area known as the Riverina is perfect for growing rice, with plenty of irrigation water available from melting snow from the Snowy Mountains and good amounts of rainfall. The rice flour they produce there is made into dough, rolled into shape, heat dried, roasted, and seasoned to make these gorgeous crunchy crackers.
Don't panic if you don't like the sound of the Seaweed ones. It is an acquired taste, though one I acq
uired with unseemly haste. There are 5 varieties - Sesame, Seaweed, Black Pepper, BBQ, and the Brown Rice variety with Teryaki flavouring. I have never seen the Sesame ones, so I haven't tried those, but I can vouch for the others being very tasty indeed - even the BBQ ones, which is a flavour I normally hate, but tried by accident and loved. The absolute beauty of these crackers is that, being baked instead of fried, they are 97% fat free. However, you don't feel short changed in the taste and substance departments at all. The bite is just right. They are brittle and crunchy, making a satisfying snap in your teeth. One drawback of this is they tend to snap in the pack too, unless transported and stored carefully. The texture is dry, with no greasy fried aftertaste.
Opening the pack, the Seaweed variety gives off a faint odour of the sea, and tastes salty and tangy. It's quite difficult to describe to someone who has never tasted seaweed crackers, but you'll either love them or hate them. The Brown Rice Teryaki ones smell and taste slightly sweeter than the white rice versions, with a hint of ginger in the seasoning. They feel slightly more substantial in the mouth too. The Black Pepper ones don't smell of much, but don't let that deceive you. They are hot! The BBQ flavour is subtle and not at all overpowering or chemically. All varieties are perfect party food, and won't break the bank at £1.09 per pack, specially if your parties consist of you, the cat, and the telly. This compares favourably with other "up market" snacks like Walkers Sensations, or Kettle chips.
You will find Sakata Rice Crackers in most supermarkets now. Tesco tend to display them along with other crackers and biscuits, rather than by the crisps and snacks. Another area you sometimes see them is in a special section for people who have Coeliac Disease, as they are gluten free. Look out for the distinctive red packagi
ng (reddish brown in the case of the Brown Rice ones) with SA....KA....TA a
nd the flavour splashed across the front.
I hear that a smaller snack variety in bags is about to hit the shelves in the UK, but that's another op for another day.
Summary:
|
|
