Indian naan. Mexican tortilla. Italian ciabatta.

Like other countries in the world, Japan also has its unique types of bread. Although Japan is obviously not the origin of bread, a handful of new ones have been created and developed here. Some of them are a fusion of food cultures of Japan and other countries, others were imported and adapted to the tastes of Japanese people.

So what kinds of bread can you find in Japan? Here are the five must-tries for you.

Anpan

Anpan is a sweet roll filled with red bean paste (あんこ), which is essential when making wagashi. Perhaps it’s the most iconic type of Japanese bread and can be found in every single bakery.

The recognition of anpan was originally gained in Meiji era thanks to a samurai called Tesshu Yamaoka. He was so impressed with the deliciousness that presented it to the Emperor, and he also liked it.

Japanese snacks are famous for the rich variety of flavors, and anpan is no exception. There is even “Anpanya”, a bakery specialized in this type of bread. You can find various kinds of Anpan there from basic to modern. When you have a chance to visit Osaka, this is one of the places you should stop by.

Curry Pan

Japanese people’s love for curry has turned into the invention of this bread. The deep-fried dough is coated with crispy breadcrumb and stuffed with savory curry. Freshly fried ones are extraordinarily delicious, and some bakeries let people know what time they should come for them.

Just like the case with anpan, there are also bakeries dedicated to curry pan. Curry can be spicy or slightly sweet. The meat in the curry can be chicken, beef, or pork. Some feature the Indian version of curry. Or the dough can be somehow different. It’s a fun and delicious journey to find the best fit for you.

Melonpan

A fluffy bun with the crispy cookie dough on top. The sweet buttery flavor is hard to ignore. Strangely enough, it doesn’t actually contain melon. But it is called this way because the grid line pattern resembles the skin of the fruit. In recent years, however, bakeries have begun to use melon to give the luscious taste to make it “melonpan” in a real sense.

There’s one more thing which resembles this; a turtle! If the bun is green-colored and has a head and feet, it looks like nothing but a turtle. Some bakeries sell turtle-shaped one, which is too cute to bite.

Shio Pan

Shio means salt, and shio pan is simply a salty butter roll but is growing in popularity in recent years. Indeed, shio pan seems to be the most popular type of bread in many bakeries. The balance between the flavors of salt and butter is exquisite.

It was first invented at a bakery in Ehime prefecture just a several years ago, spread quickly all over Japan, and now you can find it in almost every bakery. What was the key to the success of it? As everyone says, you know, simple is best.

Yakisoba Pan

You may doubt it, but the combination of yakisoba noodles and bread is also common and popular in Japan. As you can imagine, it’s very satisfying to eat. It is sometimes served in school lunch, and children love this high-carb food.

You can make this yourself pretty easily if you want. You just need a piece of bread and yakisoba noodles :)

Have you ever tried one of these above? Which one would you like to try? Feel free to talk to us!

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Our current Sweets Pack (Happy Nibbles Pack) includes mini-versions of Melonpan and Shio Pan! Visit this page to get yours ;)