Senbei Jiru

Main ingredients

Nanbu senbei (wheat crackers), chicken, green onion, ito-konnyaku (konnyaku noodles), ita-fu (flat dried wheat gluten), burdock root, shimi-dofu (freeze-dried tofu), carrot, mushrooms

History and origin

Nanbu senbei, handed down in the former Nanbu domain, are made by mixing wheat flour with salt and water and baking the dough in molds, and they served as a preserved food in an area where rice was hard to grow. One theory holds that the dish began before the war, when senbei were added to ara-jiru, a soup made from the heads and bones of ugui (Japanese dace). The name "senbei jiru" became established after a tourism organization in Hachinohe City promoted it as a local specialty in the Heisei era.

When it is eaten

It is eaten in the cold season at home as a miso soup or hot pot dish, and is also served to tourists at restaurants and events.

How it is eaten

Typically, vegetables, ito-konnyaku and other ingredients are put into a soy sauce–flavored pot with chicken broth, and senbei are broken into it and simmered. Variations include salt-flavored versions made with cod or grilled mackerel, and a miso-flavored sakura nabe made with horse meat.

Recipes vary by region and household. This is not ingredient, allergy, or dietary guidance for a specific restaurant.