Arare

Arare (あられ) are small, glutinous-rice crackers, made from mochigome rather than the non-glutinous uruchimai used for senbei. That difference in rice shows up directly in texture: mochigome puffs up when heated, giving arare a lighter, airier bite than senbei’s flat crunch. Arare and okaki share the same mochigome base and production method; the main distinction between them is size, with arare generally referring to pieces smaller than about 5cm and okaki covering larger ones, though the line between the two isn’t strictly defined. The name itself comes from arare (霰), the Japanese word for small hail, a reference to the crackers’ typically tiny, pebble-like shape.