Aomori Senbei-jiru
Senbei-jiru originated in the northern prefecture of Aomori, in the city of Hachinohe. Also known as wheat-flour wafer soup, senbei-jiru is a stew of chicken, vegetables and mushrooms, and includes locally produced wafers called nanbu-senbei.
The soup is usually seasoned with soy sauce, but miso may also be used. The baked nanbu-senbei are made of flour, salt and baking soda, and have a unique texture that does not dissolve easily. These senbei are white in color and do not have much flavor, but they absorb the delicious soup broth while maintaining some firmness.
Nanbu-senbei probably evolved from mugi-senbei wheat-flour wafers, which were enjoyed as a staple food and later came to be eaten with stewed dishes during the early 19th century. When nanbu-senbei for soups were made commercially available in the late 1950s, senbei-jiru quickly became a popular home recipe.
