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yuiyoshida

(41,762 posts)
Thu Aug 18, 2016, 06:29 PM Aug 2016

A short history of ‘real’ bread in Japan



A short history of ‘real’ bread in Japan
BY KAORI SHOJI
SPECIAL TO THE JAPAN TIMES

For most of modern history, the Japanese failed to understand the point of the baguette — known locally as furansu pan (French bread) — and shunned the globally coveted Gallic specialty, thinking it was hard and tasteless. Carried by almost every bakery in Tokyo, it was often isolated from the main cast of popular offerings such as sweet pastries and curry pizzas — even in fashionable bakeries like Pompadour and Kobeya. Four or five loaves always remained at closing time while everything else sold out.

Aside from the taste and the local preference for softer breads, the Japanese long held that furansu pan was a snack and not suitable to be eaten as part of a real meal, especially for men born during the Showa Era (1926-89). Back in the day, breakfast in my household was always a battle between my mother, who just wanted to slap a big basket of supermarket rolls on the table and pour the coffee, and my father and his gang of three sons who put up a united front in favor of what I call the “full Japanese,” consisting of rice, miso soup, grilled fish and, when going all-out, fried eggs.

That’s a lot of work and stress, and my mother — understandably — hated mornings. She never sat down to eat breakfast with the family and it was only after we left for school and work that she would retire to the couch with her coffee and toast, where she could enjoy a brief moment of peace and quiet. For her, as for many women in Japan, bread has been the ultimate comfort food — even a guilty pleasure.

Recognizing there was demand, Japanese bakers launched one sweet, sugary concoction after another, from an pan (bean-paste-filled bread) to creamy muffins and cupcake-like delights. On the savory end, they stocked their shelves with curry-filled bread, mayonnaise heavy sandwiches and the all-important katsu sandwich (a deep-fried breaded pork cutlet served between two thick slices of bread), which to overseas visitors must come off as overkill, an incomprehensible lump of grease and carbs.

For the Japanese, bread was, and still is, loaded with historical significance. Just after World War II, it was a symbol of the American Occupation and a poor substitute for white rice. The occupation authorities distributed cheap factory bread and powdered milk, which were often served for lunch in Japanese schools and by all accounts tasted horrible. It wasn’t until the late 1970s that the Japanese learned to embrace bread as a main staple, and another 20 years before “real” bread, handmade by bakers in genuine ovens, began adorning tables nationwide.

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http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2015/12/04/food/short-history-real-bread-japan/#.V7Y2FdQrLMo
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A short history of ‘real’ bread in Japan (Original Post) yuiyoshida Aug 2016 OP
Yup, yup, yup! Totally loved this. Old Crow Aug 2016 #1

Old Crow

(2,212 posts)
1. Yup, yup, yup! Totally loved this.
Thu Aug 18, 2016, 07:13 PM
Aug 2016

Arigatou! Is there anything more fascinating than the cultural interplay between rice and bread? A few random comments:

• It was really interesting to learn that white bread, for a long time, was associated with the post-WW2 occupation. Makes total sense. Years ago, I had a Japanese girlfriend who always associated brown rice with the war (not that she was alive at the time). Apparently, during the war, the Japanese stopped processing the rice to make it white as an austerity measure.
• I can see the Japanese initially disliking baguettes due to the crust. Not many foods in Japan have such a strong crust to them and the Japanese palate tends to favor softer textures. For example, my girlfriend's favorite bread, by far, was potato bread, which she loved for its pillowy texture.
• Now that bread has caught on, it surprises me not one bit that the Japanese bakers are excelling at it. There is an attention to detail over there that goes beyond even the French. Japanese coffeehouses, from what I've seen, prepare some of the best coffee in the world.
• Regarding those Crab Brand Navy Biscuits from my earlier post: Apparently they've been made for decades and are still seen all across the Pacific. I hear you can find them in just about every kitchen on Guam, for instance. Sadly, they aren't being sold in those huge rectangular tins seen in the video nowadays. I haven't ordered any from Amazon yet, but plan to.

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