Mikawaya Ebi Mangetu Shrimp Crackers

Mangetsu means full moon, and the crackers are named for their shape: thin, pale, perfectly round discs that go translucent at the edges.

Mikawaya builds Ebi Mangetsu on starch rather than rice flour, which is what produces the particular texture the product is known for — an airy, brittle crispness that shatters on contact and then dissolves almost completely, leaving nothing to chew.

The shrimp is the point.

Two kinds go in: whole shrimp, and hoshi-ami, dried Antarctic krill, which Japanese cooks use for its concentrated marine savouriness.

Aosa seaweed goes in as well, adding a green, briny note underneath.

The seasoning is salt, and Mikawaya uses enough of it to matter — 2.2 g per bag, which is high for a snack and exactly why the flavour hits as hard as it does.

Shrimp first, salt behind it, then a long savoury finish. It is a difficult thing to stop eating.

Mikawaya Seika built its business on ebi senbei and has enough confidence in this one that its website publishes recipes using it as a base: canapés with avocado dip, toppings for New Year soup.

That gives a sense of how the cracker behaves — it is neutral enough structurally to carry other things, but assertive enough in flavour to stand alone with a beer.

The 75 g bag has a 180-day shelf life and nothing in it that melts.

About this item
Item Name : Ebi Mangetsu
Brand : Mikawaya Seika
Item Form : Starch Cracker
Number of Items : 75g (Pack of 1)