Japanese sandwiches are much like sandwiches anywhere else, but there are a few special touches that make them uniquely delicious. Typical sandwiches in Japan are made with white bread but the crust is usually removed which makes the sandwich soft and chewy. Mayonnaise is used on many sandwiches but usually just a very small amount spread thinly across the entire piece of bread. Cucumber and lettuce are popular fillers and are often combined with tuna salad, egg salad, ham and cheese, or even potato salad to make a savory and nutritious entree. There are sweet sandwiches made with jelly, or fruit and whipped cream. There are omelette sandwiches, chicken teriyaki sandwiches, and many others available to try. I share two of my favorite sandwich recipes below, but there are hundreds of varieties of sandwiches readily available across Japan. Try these two to start, or improvise and enjoy your own creations!
Japanese Style Sandwiches
Sandwiches can be found all over Japan. Every convenience store carries fresh sandwiches and the variety of sandwiches that are available is absolutely mind boggling. My favorites are ham and cheese and tuna salad, so I will show you how I make them. Learn the technique to make a Japanese sandwich, and then you can make your own creations.
Japanese Style Sandwiches
Japanese sandwiches come in so many varieties it would be impossible to try and name them all. When you do make them, note some of these key points…
1) Not too much meat! The bread and veggies need to contribute equally to provide a balanced taste.
2) Japanese mayonnaise is best. I recommend trying KEWPIE brand mayonnaise, which is available at Asian grocery stores or through Amazon.
3) When it comes to sandwiches, cucumber goes great with anything. I didn’t believe it at first… but now I am hooked!
Enjoy these two sandwiches and please, let me know if you come up with your own ideas!
 PREP |
 COOKING |
 YIELD |
| 15 mins | 4 sandwiches |
| PREP |
15 mins |
| COOKING |
|
| YIELD |
4 sandwiches |
Tuna Salad Sandwich
- 4 slices of white bread
- 1 tsp dried minced onion
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 5oz of canned chunk light tuna (140g)
- 4 TBSP Japanese mayonnaise
- 1 TBSP lemon juice
- 1/2 cucumber, sliced thin
- 4 lettuce leaves
Ham and Cheese Sandwich
- 4 slices of white bread
- 1 slice of white cheese
- 6 slices of thin roast ham
- 1/2 cucumber, sliced thin
- 2 TBSP Japanese mayonnaise
- 4 lettuce leaves
Instructions:
Tuna Salad Sandwich
- Prepare the tuna salad: Soften the minced onion in the lemon juice for 5 minutes. Add the mayonnaise, pepper and tuna fish and combine with a fork ensuring all ingredients are thoroughly mixed and the consistency is even throughout.
- Trim the crusts off the bread.
- Build the sandwich from the bottom up as follows: Bread, tuna salad, cucumber, lettuce, bread.
- Slice diagonally.
Ham and Cheese Sandwich
- Trim the bread crusts off.
- Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on one side of each piece of bread.
- Build the sandwich from the bottom up as follows: Bread (Mayo side up),ham, cucumber, lettuce, cheese, bread (mayo side down).
- Slice Diagonally.
Serve and Enjoy!
Notes:
- Japanese sandwiches are more authentic with Japanese ingredients such as tuna or mayonnaise.
- Slice the cucumber thin.
- Aspiring chefs, experiment to your heart’s content! It’s hard to mess up a sandwich.
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