With Japanese milk bread stuffed with fresh fruit and whipped cream, you might think these bright and colorful sandwiches called Japanese fruit sandwich or fruit sando (フルーツサンド) are slightly outlandish. But once you give it a try, you’ll know instantly why fruit sando is so popular in Japan. You may even wonder why you have never thought of this combo yourself!
What is Japanese Fruit Sandwich (Fruit Sando)?
Simply put, it’s a sandwich filled with fresh fruit and whipped cream between two slices of Japanese milk bread known as shokupan. You can find them all over Japan at fruit-themed cafes (fruit parlor in Japanese), basement food halls of department stores, and convenience stores (konbini). While the fluffy and pillowy shokupan bread is delicious on its own, the colorful fruit filling steals the show. Strawberries, oranges, kiwis, mangos, and blueberries make the centerpiece of the sandwich. Smooth and dreamy whipped cream binds it all together. Just like you’d imagine, every bite bursts with juicy sweetness. It’s refreshing and light, like sunshine in sandwich form!
The Origins of Fruit Sando
There are two theories on how fruit sandwich originated in Japan. One is that it started in Kyoto around the early 1920s since there are a lot of cafes there specializing in fruit sandwich. The other theory is that it was created by Tokyo’s Senbikiya (千疋屋), which is the very first store that started a fruit parlor in Japan in 1868. Either way, the pairing of fruit and soft white bread does not surprise me. Anyone who has tasted fresh fruit in Japan knows that they are extremely flavorful, so sweet and juicy, that they sometimes taste like candy. So, I can see why somebody decided to use fresh fruit as a sweet filling with dreamy shokupan as the pastry or cake element!
Ingredients You’ll Need for Fruit Sando
strawberries kiwi navel oranges shokupan (Japanese milk bread) slices – fluffy white sandwich bread that’s the thickness of a square loaf cut into 8 slices heavy (whipping) cream sugar – about 10% of the heavy cream by weight rum – optional
How To Make Fruit Sando
Here’s a brief overview; see my recipe card for step-by-step instructions with photos.
5 Tips for Making Fruit Sando
To make a beautiful fruit sandwich, consider these tips:
A Worthy Sandwich for Any Occasion
With the bounty of berries and fresh fruit available in the spring and summer, you’ll want to make fruit sando over and over again. Try a strawberry sando or mixed fruit sando for breakfast, afternoon snack, picnics, or dessert. They’d be a hit at a children’s birthday party or bridal shower, too!
Fruit and Whipped Cream Recipes
If you love fruits and whipped cream combination, you may also enjoy these recipes:
Fruit Parfait Japanese Strawberry Shortcake Homemade Crepes
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