The Age Senbei (揚げせんべい) is a variety of senbei (Japanese rice crackers) that is fried, unlike the traditional type which is dried or baked.
Made with glutinous rice (more traditional version) or rice flour (simplified version), it is known for its crunchiness and salty or sweet taste depending on the seasonings.
The shape is typically flat and round, similar to a cracker or a crunchy cookie.
Traditional Age Senbei recipes mainly vary in the use of sugar for the sweet version or salt for the savory one.
There is also a simpler version of age senbei, made with rice paper and fried in oil, which we tasted during our trip to Okinawa (see photo) in March 2025. The resulting senbei is crispy and salty, perfect as a snack.
Japanese Age Senbei (simplified version) can be considered Japanese Dragon Clouds as both are fried preparations, even though they have a very different ingredient base.
What follows is the traditional recipe – for the simplified one scroll to the bottom.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 25Pieces
- Cooking methods: Frying, Steaming
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 7 oz glutinous rice (or rice flour)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- to taste salt (or 1 teaspoon mirin)
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- to taste sesame oil
Steps
If using glutinous rice, rinse it well and boil it until soft.
Steam the rice in a steamer for 20-30 minutes until the rice becomes soft and transparent.
Once cooked, transfer the rice to a container and mash it with a fork or pestle until you get a sticky consistency. Add the water.Add soy sauce, salt, and sugar, mixing well.
For a savory version, you can add just salt or a bit of mirin.
Note: Alternatively, you can use rice flour (to simplify the process) mixed with salt and sugar to achieve a similar consistency. Then add the soy sauce and gradually the water (100ml). Mix well until you get a soft dough, but firm enough to be shaped. You may need to add more or less water depending on the rice flour’s consistency.
Take small amounts of dough and flatten them on a sheet of parchment paper to get thin discs about 1.5-2 inches in diameter.
Let air dry for a while to get the right texture before frying them.
Heat the oil in a deep pan to 340°F and fry the senbei until they are golden and crispy.
Once fried, place the senbei on paper towels to remove excess oil.
For the simplified recipe:
Ingredients (for 1 person):
1 rice paper sheet
5 tablespoons of cooking oil (for frying)
A pinch of salt
Procedure:
Put the oil in a pot and heat it to about 356°F.
Break the rice paper sheet into bite-sized pieces with your hands.
Add the rice paper pieces into the hot oil and fry.
Once fried, add a little salt to taste and serve.
Tips:
The rice paper fries very quickly, so be careful not to burn it.
Immediately remove the fried pieces from the oil to prevent them from absorbing too much oil.
If you want to customize the recipe, you can add spices like black pepper or wasabi powder for a spicy touch.
Packaged Age senbei:
Kameda Seika is one of the leading companies in the senbei/rice crackers market. They have a wide range of products, many flavor variants, and well-designed packaging.
Befco / Kuriyama Beika, Borgound and other companies make assorted rice cracker packages (arare / senbei) with various flavors.
I read a book titled in Italian “A Perfect Job” by Tsumura Kikuko. The third chapter is dedicated to senbei, rice crackers.
The protagonist starts working in a company that produces rice crackers and is tasked with writing curiosities on the back of each package.
In Japan, this type of content can be an added value: it increases the sense of authenticity and care.
As the chapter unfolds, the protagonist inaugurates a new section titled
“Mrs. Fujiko’s Tips,” this is my special homage to the book so pleasant to read: 
“Mrs. Fujiko’s Tips,” this is my special homage to the book so pleasant to read:
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What are the differences between age senbei and dragon clouds?
Dragon clouds are a popular Southeast Asian appetizer made from tapioca flour or other similar flours (like rice flour) and seafood (shrimp, fish, etc.).
The dough is wrapped around the filling and fried until crispy and golden.
The pastry is thin and crumbles easily when bitten.
They are made by mixing tapioca flour with water to obtain a soft dough, then rolled out and used to wrap mixed seafood, which is fried together.
The tapioca dough gives a soft and slightly gelatinous texture inside.
Main differences:
Dragon Clouds are made with tapioca flour and contain seafood or meat as filling.
Age Senbei are made with rice flour or glutinous rice and are generally without filling, crunchy on the outside, and rather simple in flavors.
