I wish it was an option to share the bread in these images. How can bread offer insight into Japanese culture? It strengthens my view that whatever the Japanese put their minds to, they do to the nth degree. My local bakery – Hana Neko Panya-san (Flower Cat Bread Company) – makes some of the best bread imaginable; all this from an unpretentious looking store run by a husband and wife team. The sweets are delicious; the deli-style breads with cheese and meat keep me coming back, (especially since we don’t really have stuff like that in Canada). The owners constantly amaze me by creatively introducing new products as the seasons change. However, it’s the simple breads that impress me most. I go to her twice a week for sliced bread, and freeze it, to use for toast. It’s definitely something worth waking up for in the morning. Her French bread is probably the best outside France or Vietnam. Perfect for sandwiches on the weekend. There is a surprising lack of buns or 100% whole wheat products in Japan, I have my own theory: I can only guess it probably has something to do with the more recent introduction of bread into Japan, compared to rice, and it’s position as a special treat. The pictures inclucded in this post show the shop’s crown jewel. A simple bread that doesn’t visually standout on the shelves. She describes it as a type of rustic country French bread, using local Hokkaido grain. The actual name for the bread doesn’t exactly roll of the tongue so we call it “inaka pan,” which doesn’t really have a meaning. Initially the crust is very tough, denoting its rustic country origins, however, heating the bread slightly - not quite toasting it thoroughly – reveals a transformation within the bread itself, creating a dream-like texture that everyone enjoys. And pretty soon you’ve found yourself to have eaten the whole loaf, crumbs and all.
