Lotus Foods Reinvents Japan's Popular Arare Rice Cracker Snack

RICHMOND, Calif., Jan. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- If "Arare" [pronounced "ah-rah-reh"] is not yet a word in your vocabulary it soon will be. Lotus Foods is taking this beloved Japanese rice cracker, a best-seller for over 1,200-years, and giving it a 21^st century twist with healthier ingredients and innovative new flavors. Organic whole grain brown and heirloom black rice replace commercial grade glutinous white rice and only natural colors and spices are used for Lotus Foods' three delicious new Arare Rice Crackers:

Shoyu: Traditional flavor with gluten-free soy sauce.
Sriracha: For those who love their snacks hot and spicy.
Sweet and Savory Thai: The flavor of Thai sweet basil.

"Arare in Japan are almost like potato chips in the US," explains Caryl Levine, Lotus Foods Co-founder/CEO. "Consumers are always looking for healthier snacking options with different and exciting flavors. We recently did this with Ramen; instead of wheat, we use more nutritious organic whole grain rice paired with non-conventional ingredients like purple sweet potato, buckwheat and millet. The result is a whole new Ramen experience that people love. We believe our Arare Rice Crackers will be as successful!"

As with all Lotus Foods products, the Arare Rice Crackers are gluten free. They are baked and not fried, low in fat and cholesterol free. They can be enjoyed directly out of the bag or added to trail mixes or your favorite fruits and nuts. They can even be used as croutons sprinkled over soups and salads. Arare are indeed 'a rare' snacking treat!

Recently, Lotus Foods launched a campaign called 'DO THE RICE THING' with More Crop Per Drop™, a Water Smart and Women Strong way to grow rice', to bring awareness to some of the critical social and environmental problems in conventional rice farming. Lotus Foods is committed to sourcing rice from family farms who use practices that are more respectful of water and women while generating surplus rice for improved local and national food security.

SOURCE Lotus Foods