What is Japanese Hamster Bread?

In case you haven't had your cute fix for the day, taking a look at the Japanese hamster bread is just what you need. Japan is famous for the sweet and kawaii (cute) things they can do to dishes, beverages, confectioneries, desserts, and anything food you can think of. Japanese bread is no exception, they are famous for being sweet, fluffy, and shaped in cute ways.

What pops up in your mind after seeing the phrase “Japanese hamster bread”? Is it bread made with “hamster flour”? (lol) If that is even a thing. Or do you imagine maybe hamster meat is embedded within the bread? (urm, no thanks) Or maybe the bread is eaten only with a sprinkle of hamster fur? (ew)

Don’t let your imaginations run too far. Japanese hamster bread is simply a hamster-shaped bread.

What makes Japanese Hamster Bread Special?

Looking at a Japanese hamster bread from afar in pictures, you wouldn’t even believe that it is actually bread. That’s right; they are almost the exact shape of a hamster. The shape, the cute beady eyes, basically everything is designed to look like the real deal. The only difference is the fact that the hamster bread is perfectly edible, and they are definitely not alive. The sad part is that the  kawaii bread is almost too cute to eat; almost. 

The Origin of Japanese Hamster Bread

When you google japanese hamster bread, the first image that pops up is that of the life-like hamsters on a baking sheet. This picture went viral on twitter in 2016 when an artist named Yumi Nakano posted them. People reposted the image calling it the “Japanese Hamster Bread”. It got debunked eventually that the images weren’t edible bread but figurines. But the Japanese, being famous for their kawaii inventions of food, was inspired by these images, and the actual and edible hamster bread was created soon after. Talk about a great way to invent a pastry.

Don’t think Japan stopped at just replicating the hamster bread. Oh not, bakers created other fun versions of bread.

Check out this buff bread really packing it.

Or this koala bread that is an exact replica of the animal.

You can always be sure to get the coolest versions of any type of food in Japan.

What types of Hamster Bread can you find in Japan?

You might be shocked to learn that Japanese hamster bread comes in two flavors: a salty variety and a sweeter variety. Both variations were created independently online in response to the success of hamuco and hamster bread.

Let's start with the savory option; you can tell this variety apart from others by the two raisins that are used as the eyes and the nut that the hamster is holding up with pride. A maker who specializes in kawaii bread created this more accurate version.

The creator of the second, sweeter version is a well-known YouTube user by the handle Kinny TV. Compared to the savory version, this Japanese hamster bread appears more like a domestic pet. To give the bread a more realistic appearance, yellow cheese powder and sugar powder are hand-painted onto it.

How to make Sweet Japanese Hamster Bread at home

Hamster bread is available in pastry shops in Japan but not every baker would love to give away their secret recipe so you’ll just have to visit these stores to find out how it is made. Luckily, there are some videos online explaining how to make variations of hamster bread. 

The version displayed above was created by a Korean DIY YouTuber. It has the adorable hamster “lying down” and gelatin is used to make the bread sweet and savory. If you would like to do something exciting, try making a hamster bread at home and; experiment with different flavors! Also, this version is a no-bake recipe. The hamster bread is hand-painted with yellow cheese powder and sugar powder to give the illusion of an actual hamster.

How to make Ham and Raisin Japanese Hamster Bread at home

First, you need to prepare a few ingredients. Below is the list of everything you need to make about 5 Hamster Bread rolls.

• Bread flour – 135g
• Wheat flour – 15g
• Dry yeast – 3g
• Milk – ⅓ cup
• Salt – 1g
• Sugar – 15g
• Butter – 10g
• Egg – 1-2 eggs
• Roast ham – 3 slices
• Raisin – 10 raisins
• Nuts of your choice – 5 nuts
• 5 balls of dough used for making Japanese Hamster bread on a black background

One you have it all prepared and laid out in front of you, you can start following the instructions below to make your first Japanese Hamster bread rolls!

Step-by-step Instructions

1. Cut all the slices of ham into 6 wedges.
2. Put all the flour, yeast, milk, salt, sugar, and 25g of egg into a bowl and mix them together. 
3. Add the 10g butter you prepared, stir and knead the dough.
4. Let the dough rise until it’s about twice the size.
5. Take about 10g of the dough and divide it into 5 pieces. (This is for the ears and hands.)
6. Take what's left of the dough, divide it into five larger pieces, and roll them into balls. (This is for the bodies.)
7. Take one dough ball, spread it out, and put 3 or 4 ham wedges in the center. Wrap the dough around the wedges and make a triangle. Do the same for the other dough balls.
8. Now, take one of the smaller dough balls and cut into 4 pieces (two smaller ones for the hands and two larger ones for the ears). Roll the larger ones into ears and place them at the top of your hamster triangle. Stretch the smaller ones to make hamster hands and place them on the hamster body. (Feel free to put lines on the hands so they look more like hamster paws.)
9. Gently place a single nut in between the hands, so that it looks like they’re holding it.
10. Carefully place your hamsters onto a baking sheet and let them rise for 30-40 minutes. 
11. Preheat the oven to 180℃ (350℉). 
12. Before putting your hamster buddies in the oven, brush the top of each one with egg, press on two raisins for eyes, and make sure that the nut is pressed on tightly.
13. Bake them for about 12 minutes.
14. Let them cool and enjoy your homemade Hamster Bread rolls!

There you go, you've made your very first Japanese Hamster Bread rolls! Let us know how they were, and don't hesitate to share images with us on social media!

Hamster Bread Dessert in Japan

Hamster bread isn’t the only hamster shaped confectionery in Japan. Have you ever wondered what a hamster dessert would look like? Well no need to wonder anymore because the hamster ice cream almost looks like a crime to eat it, but someone’s gotta do it!

There you have it! Your kawaii Japanese hamster bread’s origin. This bread is not really popularly sold because not all bakeries have it on their menu. But the ones that sell them ensure that you can enjoy warm, delicious, soft hamster bread. 

Do you want to have other types of snacks from Japan delivered straight to your doorstep? ZenPop is offering awesome boxes like a Japanese snack box! Check out our snack pack store and order yours now!

This article was originally written by our freelance writer Umm-Kulthum Abdulkareem, and edited by us.