April 5, 2019

**The Japanese rice cracker known as jibachi senbei contains what ingredient?**

A. Sea urchins

B. Wasps

C. Pickled radishes

D. Ants

Jibachi senbei, or digger wasp rice crackers, contain an insect called digger wasps. Hunters set traps for the wasps in the forests surrounding Omachi, a town about 120 miles from Tokyo where these crackers were invented, specifically to make jibachi senbei. After being boiled and dried, the wasps are added to the rice cracker mix. According to Gastro Obscura, the snack was invented by a wasp fan club (who knew?) and a cracker-baker. It’s now a favorite among the elderly population (Omachi’s youth aren’t so keen). A reviewer claims the crackers taste slightly sweet and savory, with the wasps coming across “like burnt raisins.” A wine to pair? Hmmm. Port to mirror the sweet/savoriness or Champagne to amplify the crunch?

What Makes Great Wine Great? Part One: Distinctiveness

“On one particular occasion, André [Tchelistcheff] and I were visiting Sancerre [in France’s Loire Valley], specifically Didier Dagueneau. But before we arrived at the winery, André told us to stop by the road. He got out and walked over to the vineyard, bent down, grabbed a handful of dirt in his hands, rubbed it and then told me to do the same. Then he said, ‘Smell it because that is what you will smell in the wine.’ And he was right. When we tasted Didier’s ‘Silex,’ I was overwhelmed by the aroma and unique mineral character in the wine.”

—Rob Davis, winemaker at Jordan Winery in Alexander Valley, California, talking about his mentor, the late André Tchelistcheff, who is considered the father of California winemaking

The Japanese rice cracker known as jibachi senbei contains what ingredient?

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**The Japanese rice cracker known as jibachi senbei contains what ingredient?**