What is a Japanese fruit sandwich and what does it taste like?
A Japanese fruit sandwich, more commonly known as fruit sando, is a dessert that is made up of two soft slices of milk bread filled with whipped cream and fresh fruit in the center. Its light and airy texture of whipped cream and soft milk bread pairs perfectly with juicy and sweet fruit like strawberry, kiwi, and pineapple. Fruit sando is a fusion of Japanese and Western food that combines the popularity of fresh, ripened fruit and the influence of bread from Western trade and immigration. There are two potential origin stories for the fruit sando and both come from the idea that fruit is a delicacy in Japan. One is from a fruit stand named Yaoiso that opened in 1869 in Kyoto, and the other is from a fruit parlor named Sembikiya in 1868 in Tokyo. These days you can find fruit sandos all over the world. In Japan, you can find them in convenience stores like 7/11 and in the US, you can find them at your local Japanese grocery store like Mitsuwa, or shops like Katsu Sando in LA.
Types of bread to use
Make sure you use shokupan, or Japanese milk bread when making Japanese fruit sandos. This fluffy and slightly sweet bread pairs well with the airy whipped cream and juicy fruit. You can choose to make your shokupan at home if you’re up for the challenge, but they’re also available at Japanese grocery stores like Mitsuwa or local Orange County bakeries like Cream Pan. You can find shokupan in precut with thin or thick slices or whole loaves that you can cut yourself. I prefer buying the thick-sliced shokupan because they hold up the whipped cream and fruit filling during eating. If you can’t find shokupan nearby, you can also use fluffy white sandwich bread that is thick in width; however, there may be slight taste differences.
Which fruits to use for this sandwich
Japanese fruit sandos come with various fruits like strawberries, kiwis, grapes, pineapples, oranges, and bananas. I would recommend using ripe fruit in season for the best-tasting fruit sandos. You can mix and match fruits or use one type of fruit. For this recipe, I used strawberries and kiwis but with some having only strawberries.
How to make the whipped cream
Did you know that making whipped cream at home is super easy? All you need is heavy whipping cream, sugar, a big bowl, and a whisk (or a stand mixer if you’re fancy). I use one and a half cups of heavy whipping cream and two tablespoons of sugar for this recipe. To make the whipped cream, use very cold heavy whipping cream straight from the fridge because this helps thicken the cream and keep its shape after whipping. Add the cream and sugar into a large bowl and whisk until it’s thickened. You’ll know when it’s finished when you can turn your whisk upside down and see stiff peaks of cream stand on their own. I would recommend transferring the whipped cream into a piping bag with a large tip because it’s easier to assemble the sandwich. I also place it in the fridge until I need to assemble the sandwich because it thickens and hardens slightly which also helps keep the sandwich together.
How to assemble the fruit sandwich
The fun part is assembling the fruit sandwich. Here are some quick tips to help you get the sweetest sando.
What are Japanese sandwiches called?
Japanese fruit sandwiches are called fruit sando, or furutsu sando. This dessert is part of the Western-inspired Japanese food genre of yōshoku.
How do you eat a Japanese fruit sandwich?
Cutting Japanese fruit sandwiches diagonally to show the cross-section of fruit in fun shapes like strawberry hearts or kiwi circles is a popular way to present the treats. You can also eat Japanese fruit sandwiches by cutting them in half with the option to remove the crusts. Either way, there’s no wrong way to eat a delicious Japanese fruit sandwich. I like having mine with coffee or tea!
