Umami Crackers

A special, sticky treat from

the Japanese market

where my family shopped every Sunday:

mixed, crisp crackers painted

with brown sugar and soy sauce,

dispensed in bags and boxes

covered in hiragana characters

that only my grandparents could read.

***

Pungent, wasabi-colored

balls the size of gumdrops

that crunched between my teeth

and cleared my nostrils

(good to eat when sick).

Round, brown senbei

that took two bites

or puffed out my cheeks

if I put several in my mouth.

And the ultimate favorite:

seaweed-covered sticks

the size of a finger joint

called nori maki arare

that were both salty and sweet.

***

I’d hold each cracker on my tongue

to let the salt and sugar percolate

but then crunch down before sogginess:

an absolute treat to be enjoyed sparingly.

The crackers were expensive

and put out when company visited—

kids only got a handful each.

***

Translated to English,

umami means:

delicious, savory taste.

Americans call it

monosodium glutamate.

But where is the poetry in that?