🍱 Senbei jiru
Nanbu senbei is a traditional food from southeastern Aomori Prefecture to northern Iwate Prefecture, which was the territory of the former Nanbu domain. It is made by mixing flour with salt and water and baking rounds in iron molds. Before World War II, many farmers had iron molds, and rice crackers were a valuable preserved food in areas where rice was often damaged by cold weather and could not be harvested well. These rice crackers were boiled in miso soup or in a pot, which is called "senbei soup. There are various theories as to its origin, but it is said to have started when senbei were stewed in ara-jiru, a soup made from sea urchins caught in the river before World War II. The dish was passed down locally, but it was not until the Heisei era (1989) that the name "senbei soup" took root. The name "senbei-jiru" was not firmly established until the Heisei era (1989), when a tourism organization in Hachinohe City began publicizing what was once thought to be a humble dish eaten only at home, in an effort to make it a tourist attraction. Today, the dish is well known throughout Japan and has played a leading role in local revitalization.