A rice cracker notable for its banana-like shape, bakauke is a very popular snack in Japan. It comes in flavors like soy sauce with seaweed, soy sauce and sesame, and mild curry. The cracker was introduced in 1990 by Befco, then known as Kuriyama Beika Co. It quickly became the company’s biggest success, and though a product of Niigata Prefecture—its name means “super hit” or “well received” in the local dialect—it now can be found all across the country. In 2002, the company opened its factory to the public, branding it as an interactive museum called…
