It’s a loaf of bread.
You’re a little to blame and you’re disappointed that you paid $18 for it.
But you also feel lucky to receive the gift you’re looking for and that’s constantly out of stock.
It is Shokupan bread from Ginza Nishikawa in Los Angeles.
Ginza Nishikawa opened its doors in 2018 in Ginza, one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Tokyo, to sell high-quality “Shokupan” bread. The bakery was temporarily rewarded and now operates more than 130 outlets throughout Japan. The enormous luck spread to the United States. and the company opened its first location in Los Angeles in July 2022.
But Ginza Nishikawa is one of the high-end Shokupan manufacturers in Japan.
Why do people go so crazy over expensive Shokupan?
Shokupan is a Japanese-style fluffy bread and is also called milk bread outside Japan. It is particularly softer and sweeter than regular soft bread like Wonder Bread.
You can buy Shokupan in supermarkets in Japan for about $1. However, high-end Shokupan have become popular in 2013, when some brands introduced new products at around $2 per loaf.
Ginza Nishikawa and other bakeries further overcame barriers and began promoting Shokupan for $7 or more, high-quality ingredients like butter, cream, honey, and conscientiously opted for yeast strains.
Japanese consumers and the media responded enthusiastically to the very subtle taste of those products, and a boom of Shokupan came to the country.
Today, the boom has subsided, but the super-premium Shokupan turns out to have gained new prestige as a delicacy among consumers in Japan and beyond.
In addition to its impressive profile, there are several reasons for the persistent appetite for high-end Shokupan in Japan.
Firstly, Western-style bakeries are very popular in the country, although bread was not available to the public until the late 19th century.
There are 12,116 bakeries across the country, almost a fraction of the 26,500 ramen department stores throughout Japan. Even with the global anti-carbide movement, the Japanese are very obsessed with baked goods.
Additionally, Japanese people eat Shokupan in addition to other dishes (i. e. rice paintings). It is the central detail of a meal. For example, Shokupan toast is one of the most popular menu items at Kissaten, the classic Japanese-flavored cafe.
In other words, Shokupan’s presence is more than Wonder Bread’s.
Shokupan toast is a typical dish of Japanese Kissaten-style cafes.
Another explanation for why dear Shokupan is still popular is that Japan is a very gift-oriented society. If you go on vacation, it is almost necessary to buy souvenirs for your colleagues in Japanese offices. Or when visiting someone, for painting or in private, it’s standard to bring a small box of treats or snacks.
A fancy loaf of bread at $10 a loaf can be a more impressive gift than a regular box of crackers or rice crackers for the same value or more.
“Our packaging is designed for you to enjoy,” says Noriko Okubo, co-owner and COO of Ginza Nishikawa U. S. A.
If you’re not going to give it to someone else, is the super premium Shokupan worth it?
Let’s take a look at Ginza Nishikawa’s $18 loaf.
You open the box and immediately a sweet, buttery smell hits your nose. You know that eating a piece of bread will not be an experience.
The company even offers you a brochure on how to enjoy bread to the fullest:
Day 1: Cut the bread aside and place a piece in your mouth to appreciate its silky and elegant flavor.
Day 2: The bread becomes sweeter on day 2. Cut it without toasting it and add your favorite toppings, or without toasting it.
Day 3: Toast the bread for a crispy crust. Cut, wrap and freeze the rest.
“Day 1: Cut the bread by hand until it tastes smooth and silky. “
By the way, bread should not be cut with a serrated knife intended to cut crusty bread. This will definitely ruin the silky and chewy texture of the Shokupan. You want a sharp knife that can be used to cut through anything delicate like sashimi.
The texture of Shokupan is so airy and soft that it’s hard to avoid eating it; You must keep chasing the fleeting sensation. The taste is mild, but not too sweet, as is the case with Japanese sweets. And even after roasting it on the third day, the inside remains moist.
David Schlosser, Michelin-starred chef and owner of the original Japanese restaurant Shibumi in Los Angeles, is one of the curious people who tasted the bread at Ginza Nishikawa L. A.
“Shokupan is a crop like the one found in Japan. Slightly sweet, soft and airy, delicious to chew. Well done. In my opinion, this cannot be done without flour soil in Japan.
In fact, Ginza Nishikawa bread is made from Canadian flour ground in Japan.
“We want the best flour, but no local supplier can supply us with the ideal particle size,” says Okubo.
In addition, the company uses alkaline water produced with its original ionizer, which is key to achieving a silky texture. While the most advertising breads use milk and margarine, the company uses crème fraiche, butter and honey without preservatives.
The resulting value is $18 per bar.
We are going down this path.
Many other Japanese delight in the fine Shokupan bread and call it “puchi zeitaku” (an affordable little luxury).
We all deserve it from time to time.
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