Senbei is often considered a gluten-free snack because rice is usually the main ingredient.
And that’s true for most Japanese senbei. However, there are some exceptions.
Some products use wheat flour but are still sold as “senbei” or placed in the senbei section of Japanese stores.
So, for those who prioritize gluten-free options, I’ll quickly show you how to check whether the main ingredient is rice or wheat flour.
How to Tell the Difference
Check the ingredients list (原材料) on the back of the package.
“Wheat flour” means “小麦粉” in Japanese, so check whether you can find this word.
If the main ingredient is rice, you’ll usually see a word containing the kanji “米“.
For example:
・Non-glutinous rice = うるち米
・Glutinous rice = もち米
By the way, “米国” means the USA, not rice! (“米国産” means the ingredient comes from the USA.)
Senbei Made with Wheat Flour
Some examples include Senju Senbei (千寿せんべい) and Nanbu Senbei (南部せんべい).
For the two products mentioned above, you can probably guess that wheat flour is the main ingredient just by looking at them.
Senbei with a smooth surface and no bumps are often made mainly with wheat flour.
The Yukari (ゆかり) featured in a previous article also uses wheat flour instead of rice.
Although “senbei” isn’t part of its product name, the manufacturer sells it as an “ebi senbei” (shrimp senbei) 🦐
Yukari also looks just like a typical rice-based senbei (with a bumpy surface), so I had no idea until recently that it contains wheat flour 😅
Since the main ingredient of Yukari is actually not rice or wheat flour, but shrimp, it might be a bit of a special case.
Why Are They Called “Senbei” If They Use Wheat Flour?
Because in Japan, anything that looks and feels like a senbei — basically, something round, flat, crispy, and crunchy — is often treated as “senbei.” It’s kind of an unspoken rule 😆
So don’t just think, “It says senbei” or “It’s sold in the senbei section, so it must be gluten-free!” — check the ingredients list first!
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