Michael K (07.06):

Rice cakes - I've often wondered myself. http://www.tve.org/ho/doc.cfm?aid=1552&lang=English says that "(r)ice cakes are made from specially formulated and treated rice mixtures. The rice mixtures are placed into a mould and exposed to extreme heat and pressure for a brief period of time, causing the kernels to 'pop.' The cakes are then allowed to expand within the confines of the mould, where they reach their finished state. The completed cakes are then released from the moulds"