The ultimate SoraNews24 anpan showdown: Which sweet bread will reign supreme?

Our team gathers their favorite anpan and tasks Go Hatori with being the Anpan Judge to determine the best of them all.

“Anpan Day” is celebrated on April 4 in Japan–a day that pays homage to the popular bread 0f the same name with a sweet red bean paste filling (anko). Anpan was first created by a former samurai who opened a bakery in 1875 called Kimuraya, a place that still exists to this day as Kimuraya Sohonten in Tokyo’s Ginza district. April 4 corresponds to the date when Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken were originally presented with the new culinary creation and ended up liking it so much that they began eating it on a regular basis. Before long, word of mouth spread across the country, and today the treat is a staple of bakeries and convenience stores across Japan, popular among people of all ages.

While many people have a go-to version of anpan that they like to buy, SoraNews24 editor-in-chief and gastronomic adventurer Go Hatori doesn’t have any particular preference as he’s usually more of a fan of Western-style sweets as opposed to anything with red bean paste. That’s why our team of Japanese-language writers got the idea for him to crown the ultimate anpan winner from among their personal favorites. They each were tasked with a mission to procure their favorite kind of anpan–with no restrictions on flavors or price–and bring it to the SoraNews24 office for a taste-testing showdown with Judge Go. Their hope was that Go would also come to better appreciate the ubiquitous snack in the process.

▼ “The man who doesn’t ordinarily buy anpan: Editor-in-chief Go Hatori”

Let’s now take a moment to introduce the seven anpan entries vying for the title of the ultimate anpan.

Chronic carb-eater Mr. Sato presented the first candidate, a bun with a comforting combination of anko and butter tucked inside.

▼ Okada Kinsei Anbataya’s Anko & Butter Bread (324 yen [US$2.23])

Waffle iron whiz Masanuki Sunakoma’s selection was a classic version with fluffy bread and an extremely rich bean paste filling.

▼ Toraya An Stand’s Anpan (470 yen)

Meanwhile, the big boss and manju-lover Yoshio sprung for something slightly different–an anpan made from brioche dough and topped with sesame seeds.

▼ Bread, Sweets, and Small Restaurant Bee’s Brioche Anpan (302 yen)

Taiyaki enthusiast Yuichiro Wasai offered up an anpan from baking behemoth Yamazaki Bread that’s sold at its Daily Yamazaki chain of convenience stores.

▼ Daily Yamazaki’s Takanawa Anpan (205 yen)

Resident natto-lover Takashi Harada can never pass up this version made with a relatively large proportion of chunky bean paste-filling compared to bread shell.

▼ Yamazaki Pan’s Usukawa Tsubu Anpan (182 yen)

Both calorie-chaser P.K. Sanjun and melon bread taste-tester Seiji Nakazawa opted for a high-quality version of Yamazaki Bread’s chunky bean paste anpan flavored with chestnut.

▼ Yamazaki Bread’s Kokyu Tsubuan (Chestnut-Flavored Tsubuan) (168 yen)

Finally, nighttime binge-eater Ahiruneko and rare Japanese sweet-finder Takamichi Furusawa chose the cheapest of the lot with this heavily whipped cream version of anpan by Pasco.

▼ Pasco’s Tappuri Whipped Cream Anpan (95 yen)

The team prepared samples of all seven of the breads and arranged them artfully on a plate. Which anpan would Go ultimately choose as the winner?!

Prior to the taste-testing, a bit of a friendly quarrel ensued as the fellow writers squabbled over each other’s picks.

“Cream? Butter?! Bread containing those things aren’t true anpan,” voiced some of the team. But the instructions had been clear–there had been no restrictions on the type of bread they could buy, so Go brushed all objections to the side.

Go grabbed the plate of selections and proclaimed that he hadn’t eaten anything yet that day so he was extra hungry. He had also brought some milk to wash it all down.

He hungrily began downing the breads while the rest of the team looked on eagerly.

He occasionally paused to let the flavor sink in and decide which bread to turn to next. He decided that the one with the butter and bean paste in it would probably be something of a flavor explosion in his mouth, so he decided to save that one for last so as not to influence his palate.

The team continued looking on anxiously, praying that their individual picks would be crowned the tastiest.

It certainly looked like Go was having a hard time making his final choice.

Finally, however, he indicated that he had chosen the Top 3. Drumroll, please!

Go Hatori’s Top 3 Tastiest Anpan Results

3. Daily Yamazaki’s Takanawa Anpan (Yuichiro Wasai’s pick)

2. Pasco’s Tappuri Whipped Cream Anpan (Ahiruneko and Takamichi Furusawa’s pick)

1. Okada Kinsei Anbataya’s Anko & Butter Bread (Mr. Sato’s pick)

Clearly, Go gravitated towards the slightly more unconventional combinations as opposed to straight-up anpan. He particularly enjoyed the winner’s alternating flavors of sweet bean paste and salty butter within each bite.

While Mr. Sato won the challenge this time, other members of the team were extremely dissatisfied with the results, so it’s likely that they’ll hold another ultimate taste-testing challenge in the near future. In the meantime, let’s hope that this victory doesn’t go to Mr. Sato’s head. He does seem to have a knack for finding unusual and excellent carbs, though.

All images © SoraNews24
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