Even people who are not railway enthusiasts may have heard something about the Choshi Electric Railway.
I am not a railway fan, and although I often visit Chiba Prefecture, I normally travel by car, so the line itself was never especially familiar to me.
Its Nure Senbei, however, became almost as famous as the railway. I knew that these moist rice crackers had attracted considerable attention and finally bought a box to discover what they actually tasted like.
I purchased them at Noro Parking Area (Inbound).
The crackers even come with suggested serving variations, so this review became a little longer than expected.
Choshi Electric Railway Nure Senbei
A six-piece box costs ¥648 including tax.
It contains two crackers in each of three flavors.
The cover features a retro-style Choshi Electric Railway train and the words, “The miraculous moist rice crackers whose customers’ warm hearts saved a railway line from closure.”
Many people already know the moving story. After it was covered by the media, the crackers became so popular that they were temporarily difficult to obtain. I will return to that story shortly.
The best-before date is printed on the back. The box I purchased had about two months remaining.
The package suggests several enjoyable ways to eat Nure Senbei: warm them, add mayonnaise, or tear them into pieces for ochazuke.
Because this was my first time, I decided to begin by eating them as they were.
- Red, rich soy-sauce flavor: 86 kcal
- Blue, light soy-sauce flavor: 81 kcal
- Green, sweet flavor: 91 kcal
The box contains a leaflet titled “The True Miracle Created by Nure Senbei.”
Here it is.
In brief, declining passenger numbers and an embezzlement scandal involving the company’s president left Choshi Electric Railway deeply in the red and close to closure.
The company had already been making and selling Nure Senbei as a side business. In a desperate appeal on its website, it wrote: “Please buy our Nure Senbei. We have to earn the money to repair our trains.”
People with treasured memories of the railway and Choshi Railway fans spread the message through online forums and blogs, and orders poured in.
More than 10,000 customers responded in only ten days, producing explosive sales. The railway avoided closure and continues running today.
It is a wonderful story, and even now it makes me want to support the company.
Now, on to the flavor.
The six crackers are packed tightly inside a plastic bag.
The wrappers have tear notches.
Arranged together, the contents look like this.
My Impressions After Trying Choshi Electric Railway Nure Senbei
Blue: Light Soy-Sauce Flavor
I began with the blue, light-flavor wrapper.
The texture is moist and chewy.
Different amounts of absorbed soy sauce create subtle variations in resistance from one part to another, which makes it more interesting.
Although called light, it tastes considerably stronger than an ordinary rice cracker, with a deep dashi character as well.
Above all, the unusual texture is addictive.
Reading the miracle story while slowly chewing the cracker became a genuinely comforting moment.
Green: Sweet Flavor
Next came the green, sweet variety.
It has the same moist, chewy mouthfeel.
As the name promises, clear sweetness spreads together with the soy-sauce flavor each time you chew.
It resembles the glaze on mitarashi dango, so this is probably the easiest of the three for children to enjoy.
Red: Rich Soy-Sauce Flavor
Finally, I tried the red, rich-flavor cracker.
This red variety was apparently the original Nure Senbei devised by a railway employee.
Its basic character resembles the other soy-sauce versions, but it fully deserves the word “rich.” The powerful savory punch of soy sauce makes an immediate impression.
All three taste salty enough to make you thirsty, but that is part of their addictive charm. Enjoy them while drinking plenty of green tea.
Trying an Adapted Nure Senbei Recipe
On another day, I followed one of the serving suggestions printed on the box.
I removed a cracker from its wrapper, placed it on a plate, and microwaved it for ten seconds.
Then I added mayonnaise and aonori seaweed.
Heating made the cracker extremely soft and springy.
It tasted like a chewy little okonomiyaki and was excellent. Mayonnaise paired beautifully with it, transforming the strong soy-sauce flavor into something mellow, rich, and deeply satisfying.
I highly recommend this method. Adding shichimi pepper would make it almost impossible to stop drinking alongside it.
Thank you for the meal!
Rice-cracker fans are certain to find this souvenir entertaining. For more Chiba souvenirs, see the page below.
Choshi Electric Railway Nure Senbei Product Info, Expiration Date, Manufacturer
| Product Name | Choshi Electric Railway Nure Senbei |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer / Seller | Choshi Electric Railway Co., Ltd. |
| Address | 2-297 Shinseicho, Choshi, Chiba, Japan |
| Expiration Date | Approximately 2 months from purchase |
| Place of Purchase | Noro Parking Area Inbound |
| Price | ¥648 |
