Rice cakes tend to have a slightly negative perception. They became popular when low-fat fad diets arose in the 1980s. The thought that rice cakes are solely a diet food is less significant now.
People seeking a bit more energy during the day without a hefty snack are now amongst rice cakes’ biggest audience. The cakes are excellent for those who want some grain energy in a small package that’s crispy. Rice cakes have retained their popularity in part because they do taste good.
The taste of the rice cake depends on what you get! There are two completely different kinds of rice cakes on earth – in Asian countries and in western countries. Western rice cakes tend to be crispy with a variety of flavors while eastern depends on the sauce.
Flavors
You’ve probably seen lots of rice cake flavor varieties. Amongst popular natural and artificial flavors are cheddar, apple, caramel, chocolate and many, many more.
Depending entirely on what brand you buy, read the ingredients too. Some of these are natural flavors and are added through the use of sugar. If part of your purpose in eating rice cakes, avoid those adding too much sugar.
Asian rice cakes typically take on the flavor of the sauce they are made with. Sauce isn’t required as the rice cakes are often intended to be chewy and healthy.
Flavors can be entirely up to your preference. Many packs of rice cakes will also come in at least a couple of different kinds of flavors to give you some variety.
Are Rice Cakes Chewy or Crispy?
An easy way to answer that is they can be both. Traditional rice cakes from Asia will likely be chewier as they are made from pounded and steamed rice. They can be a snack or a meal but are eaten often either with fingers or chopsticks versus the “snack” way American rice cakes are eaten.
Rice cakes in the United States and the west tend to be much crispier. They are generally meant as a snack and are often light and airy, like a chip. Rice cakes also tend to replace potato chips as a healthier snack for some eaters.
Are they sweet, spicy, or what?
Rice cakes can take many forms. You can certainly find or make spicy race cakes. The majority found in grocery stores tend to be slightly on the sweet side with fruit flavorings. You can also find savory flavors like chocolate or caramel.
Some rice cakes are more simplified and only have the natural sweetness of brown rice, which satisfies others too.
Conclusion
Given the popularity of rice cakes in both western culture and eastern culture, there is a big variety of ways rice cakes taste. American rice cakes have some added flavors for people who want a good, healthy snack without going too heavy. A rice cake in Asia may be a chewy snack or treat.
Both are said to be kind of addictive. And knowing when to stop is like knowing how many grains of rice are in a serving.
