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Senbei-jiru
"A simple tradition"
-Vlad Luca
Picture by Kikunosato Tsuzumi, RRD public domain
Historical Background
Historical Background
The senbei-jiru (せんべい汁) is a local soup from the Hachinohe area, in the Aomori Prefecture. There are various opinions regarding its origins.
It is said that it was born during the Teppō Famine in the Edo Period, around the 1830s. Other sources, however, can only reach as far as the period before the Second World War. It is said that it was born from another dish, the arajiru, to which senbei crackers were added to fill the pot with more ingredients and make it feel richer.
One of the specialties of this dish is using a particular variety of senbei crackers: the Nanbu senbei. These senbei are not made from rice, but instead from wheat, and the reason is geographical. The Nanbu region of Aomori is an area that suffers greatly from cold temperatures, to which rice is very sensitive.
During the Second World War, households could not produce senbei anymore, as iron pots were sent as a payment to the military, stopping the tradition for a while. Even so, after the end of the war, production continued again as if nothing had ever happened.
Although it was a home dish for generations, the name Senbei-jiru started spreading only during the Heisei Era. In 2003, a group of volunteers formed the Hachinohe Senbei-jiru Laboratory (八戸せんべい汁研究所), and the dish was later even recognised in a top 100 ranking by the MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries), making it one of Aomori Prefecture's flagships.
This image was provided by the Shibata Gakuen University Junior College
Characteristics and preparation
Characteristics and preparation
As explained earlier, the particularity of the senbei-jiru is adding Nanbu senbei to the soup.
Other than that, the way it is made is left pretty much to preference. The MAFF explains that one general way to make it is to prepare a broth with ingredients such as bird meat, carrots, daikon, mushrooms, threaded konnyaku, and so on... making it is a rather simple dish.
There is no correct timing for when to insert the senbei; however, it is important to pay attention to it. Inserting them too early may make them too soggy, or, on the contrary, not letting them simmer enough might leave them too crunchy. But once again, that is all personal taste, so when trying this dish, make sure to experiment!
To Know More
To Know More
Tutorial on how to prepare it
(It is fully in Japanese, but the description contains all the steps and ingredients and it can be translated)
Illustrated story of the senbei-jiru
(The video was made by the Hachinohe Senbei-jiru Research Laboratory. It is entirely in Japanese, but it talks rather slowly and has lots of illustration as it is made for children)
Location of Hachinohe on the map
(It is located on the extreme East of the Aomori Prefecture)
Direct Voice from（Luca）
Direct Voice from（Luca）
The senbei-jiru is a dish I have tried before. Visiting Aomori with my friends, we were rather lost on what to have for dinner. Wanting to try something typical, we walked the area in front of the station and found lots of restaurants with local cuisine. The senbei-jiru came along in a set meal and it was a pleasant surprise. The addition of senbei made the soup feel a well-thought-out and careful dish. I was surprised that restaurants outside of this area do not sell it, so I would recommend preparing it if it awakens your curiosity.
References
References
せんべい汁. (2026). Mytabi.net. https://aomori.mytabi.net/senbei-jiru-rice-cracker-soup.php
せんべい汁 https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/せんべい汁
八戸せんべい汁研究所. (2020). 八戸せんべい汁研究所. https://www.senbei-jiru.com
せんべい汁 青森県 | うちの郷土料理：農林水産省. (2024). Maff.go.jp. https://www.maff.go.jp/j/keikaku/syokubunka/k_ryouri/search_menu/menu/senbei_jiru_aomori.html
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