Sando is a Japanese sandwich made from simple ingredients like Japanese milk bread filled with pork cutlets, eggs, or fruit. The starting point of most sandos is Japanese milk bread or shokupan, which is made with a higher concentration of milk and butter than traditional Western bread, giving it a chewy, soft texture that stands up well to wet ingredients and toasting. Some popular types of sandos include:
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Katsu Sando: This sandwich is made with a thick cut fried pork cutlet topped with katsu sauce, cabbage, and mayonnaise.
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Tamago Sando: This sandwich contains egg and Japanese mayonnaise with its famous umami flavor.
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Fruit Sandwich: This sandwich is filled with seasonal fruits cut lengthwise that are placed delicately on a swirl of whipped cream.
The term "sando" is a Japanese nickname for the word "sandwich". While the sando has become a staple item found in Japanese convenience stores, its history is closely linked to the Western presence, particularly Portuguese and Dutch, on Japanese soil.
