Natto toast, fresh fruit sandwiches and souffl\u00e9 pancakes all part of growing interest in east Asian cuisine<\/p>\n
Golden brown and glistening with melted butter, a tray of freshly baked bread fills the screen in a TikTok video. The camera lingers on the glossy tops before one bun is gently pulled apart, revealing a cloud-soft interior.<\/p>\n
The clip is one of countless videos of Japanese milk buns that have racked up millions of views and thousands of comments and shares, helping to propel the pillowy rolls into UK supermarkets.<\/p>\n
Japanese milk bread (shokupan) and buns are having a viral moment. The lightly sweet, fine-crumbed yeast breads trace their roots to a bakery tradition introduced to Japan through western contact, but modern Japanese milk bread evolved during the 20th century as bakers adapted European techniques to local tastes.<\/p>\n
They are far from the only Japanese food to find global fame on social media. Japan\u2019s deep-fried sandwiches have inspired queues around the block, while fluffy souffl\u00e9 pancakes, delicate crepes and Japan\u2019s distinctive fruit sando \u2013 fresh fruit and cream layered between slices of soft milk bread \u2013 have all found devoted followings online and beyond.<\/p>\n
The growing appetite for Japanese cuisine is being reflected in supermarkets. Waitrose says sales of Miso Tasty ramen paste are up 41% compared with last year, while sales of Miso Tasty soup paste have increased by 22%.<\/p>\n
But it is the rise of milk bread that Emilie Wolfman, the world foods product developer at Waitrose, said was \u201cone of the most exciting food trends we\u2019ve seen cross over from social media into mainstream kitchens\u201d. Searches for \u201cJapanese milk buns\u201d on Waitrose\u2019s website have risen by 617% over the past month, while sales are up 27% over the same period.<\/p>\n
As well as their viral success online, Wolfman attributes the growing popularity of milk buns to \u201cLondon\u2019s cult burger restaurants and east Asian bakeries\u201d.<\/p>\n
Black Bear Burger, a London-based chain, has built a loyal following by serving its smash burgers and crispy fried chicken in soft milk buns. In London\u2019s Chinatown, Bun House showcases Cantonese-style baked milk buns with both savoury and sweet fillings.<\/p>\n
Outside the capital, Tom\u00e1s Gormley, the chef-patron of Scottish fine dining restaurant Cardinal, said it opened with milk buns on the menu. \u201cMy first pastry chef, Mia, developed an incredible recipe that we still use today. We switch to sourdough every now and then to keep things interesting but always seem to end up back at the milk buns,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Gormley believes part of the appeal to chefs is how quickly and easily they can be made. \u201cI have all the time in the world for slow-fermented sourdoughs and overnight focaccias, but logistically a bread you can bash out in a couple of hours is a winner in the kitchen,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s also usually less butter-heavy than the French equivalent, brioche, which helps with costs, but also with balancing a menu and how much a guest can really eat over the course of a tasting menu, in my case.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael Booth, the author of Sushi and Beyond and The Meaning of Rice, said Japanese cuisine\u2019s \u201chuge focus on presentation, aesthetics\u201d and social media were a perfect match, with the country having been ahead of the curve for at least a decade. \u201cI can remember visiting a restaurant in Kyoto that was specifically tailored to presenting its food for social media,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
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Booth said he became \u201ctotally obsessed\u201d with milk buns and Japanese baked goods when he first visited Japan in the 1990s. \u201cThey had long ago mastered that super-light crumb.\u201d<\/p>\n
The MasterChef winner and restaurateur Tim Anderson notes the huge variety of milk breads available in Japan, which range from mildly milky and sweet to those rich with eggs, butter, cream and honey that are more akin to brioche. \u201cI think if British bakeries and supermarkets are trying to nail what makes milk bread special they should focus on the yudane and gluten development, which are what give milk bread its unique combination of strength and softness,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n