In Japan, sando are everywhere: on convenience store shelves, Shinkansen menus and even in vending machines. Their rising popularity in the West over the past decade means sandos now appear on the menus of high-end restaurants and hipster pop-ups everywhere.
Perhaps the popularity of sando is due to their seemingly simple design. As with all great inventions, however, sando are not always as they seem. They are a culinary example of the Japanese pursuit of perfection, but what makes sando unique among sandwiches is that they are wrapped and pressed. This unites the filling and bread so that, when cut, they make a beautiful cross-section. They are usually served chilled or at room temperature, but almost never hot, even with a katsu filling.
Sando falls into the culinary food group of yoshoku, which roughly translates to “Western food”. The Japanese version uses a bread called shokupan. This sweet, light
