Yakisoba-pan (焼きそばパン) is a popular Japanese food in which yakisoba is sandwiched between an oblong white bread roll resembling an American hotdog bun known as koppe-pan. [1] This high-carbohydrate food item is essentially a sandwich with a filling of fried wheat noodles. [2] Omura describes it succinctly as a "Japanese noodle bun." [3] Behymer more loosely terms it a "spaghetti sandwich" and it has also been portrayed as a Japanese stir-fried noodle sandwich. [4] Moreover, scenes of young people eating this high-carb food in Japanese films such as " Hanataba mitaina koi o shita" [花束みたいな恋をした, I fell in love like a bouquet] or "Shitsuren meshi" [失恋めし, Heartbreak on a Plate] further attest to its cultural ubiquity in Japan. [5] [6]
There are various theories about the origin of yakisoba-pan. Most concur that it took off during the 1950s. In that era, the United States flooded Japanese markets with cheap flour products; by 1955, it was appearing in department stores in Tokyo and soon nationwide. [7] [8] Today, yakisoba-pan is widely sold in convenience stores and bakeries, not only in Japan but also in some overseas locations, [9] [10] as well as school canteens. [11]
Numerous variations of this product exist in terms of seasonings, noodle thickness, and noodle length. Some versions of yakisoba-pan come with red pickled ginger and mayonnaise. Others feature a bit of parsley or lettuce. Since its ingredients tend to be cheap, this product is generally inexpensive. [12] [13]
Yakisoba-pan (焼きそばパン) is a popular Japanese food in which yakisoba is sandwiched between an oblong white bread roll resembling an American hotdog bun known as koppe-pan. [1] This high-carbohydrate food item is essentially a sandwich with a filling of fried wheat noodles. [2] Omura describes it succinctly as a "Japanese noodle bun." [3] Behymer more loosely terms it a "spaghetti sandwich" and it has also been portrayed as a Japanese stir-fried noodle sandwich. [4] Moreover, scenes of young people eating this high-carb food in Japanese films such as " Hanataba mitaina koi o shita" [花束みたいな恋をした, I fell in love like a bouquet] or "Shitsuren meshi" [失恋めし, Heartbreak on a Plate] further attest to its cultural ubiquity in Japan. [5] [6]
There are various theories about the origin of yakisoba-pan. Most concur that it took off during the 1950s. In that era, the United States flooded Japanese markets with cheap flour products; by 1955, it was appearing in department stores in Tokyo and soon nationwide. [7] [8] Today, yakisoba-pan is widely sold in convenience stores and bakeries, not only in Japan but also in some overseas locations, [9] [10] as well as school canteens. [11]
Numerous variations of this product exist in terms of seasonings, noodle thickness, and noodle length. Some versions of yakisoba-pan come with red pickled ginger and mayonnaise. Others feature a bit of parsley or lettuce. Since its ingredients tend to be cheap, this product is generally inexpensive. [12] [13]