7-Eleven pancakes become a hit with American tourists in Japan

There’s a unique way Americans like to eat this convenience store sweet.

This month, Japanese convenience store chain 7-Eleven sent out a news release regarding “inbound demand”. This report revealed which of the chain’s products were popular with inbound tourists, and when it comes to American visitors, 7-Eleven’s Pancakes with Maple Syrup & Margarine topped the list.

▼ The pancakes are priced at 138 yen (US$0.89) each, and can be found in the store’s bread section.

Our reporters can attest to the deliciousness of these pancakes, having purchased them on multiple occasions, but what makes them so appealing to Americans?

▼ Well, for starters, the margarine and maple syrup are in perfect balance.

The major thing that makes them so popular, though, is they’re the perfect partner for…

▼ …fried chicken !

This is a hack that Americans are using to create the perfect treat with equal amounts of sweetness and saltiness that makes them irresistible.

With chicken and waffles being a thing in the U.S., the chicken pancake was a hack just waiting to happen.

When our reporter P.K. Sanjun tried it out, he likened it to a Pancake Chicken Sandwich, saying the saltiness of the chicken, the sweetness of the maple syrup, and the richness of the butter combine to give you a taste of freedom that’s hard to find in Japan. 

He’d never thought to hack the pancake like this before, but now after trying it he may never go back, as he says it was insanely delicious. It was so tasty he wanted to share it with our boss, Yoshio, who also praised it, saying:

▼ “This is honestly delicious!”

P.K. was so impressed by this secret hack that he tried it with both regular fried chicken and 7-Eleven fried chicken (or “nana chiki” [“seven chicky”] as it’s known locally). He also tried it at room temperature and after a little heating in the microwave, and he concluded that no matter what type of fried chicken you use, or whatever temperature you enjoy it at, it’s always delicious.

So if you’d like a little taste of America in Japan, why not stop by 7-Eleven and pick up some pancakes and fried chicken? It’s a meal that’s super easy to assemble and the results take Japanese convenience store food to new levels, much like Family Mart’s fried chicken pancake steamed buns, which titillated our taste buds for a limited time in 2023.

Photos©SoraNews24
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