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{{short description|Sweet bread from Japan}}
{{Short description|Sweet bread from Japan}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2012}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2012}}
{{Infobox food
{{Infobox food
| name = Melonpan
| name = Melonpan
| image = Melonpan.jpg
| image = Melonpan.jpg
| image_size = 300px
| image_size = 300px
| caption =
| caption =
| alternate_name = {{plainlist|
| alternate_name = {{Plain list|
* Melon pan
* Melon pan
* Melon bun
* Melon bun
* Melon bread
* Melon bread
}}
}}
| country = [[Japan]]
| country = [[Japan]]
| type = [[Sweet roll|Sweet bun]]
| type = [[Sweet roll|Sweet bun]]
| region =
| region = [[East Asia]]
| creator =
| creator =
| course =
| course =
| served =
| served =
| main_ingredient = {{plainlist|
| main_ingredient = {{Plain list|
* [[Dough]]
* [[Dough]]
* [[Cookie dough]]
* [[Cookie dough]]
}}
}}
| variations =
| variations =
| calories =
| calories =
| other =
| other =
|no_recipes=true
| no_recipes = true
}}
}}


A {{nihongo|'''melonpan'''|メロンパン|meronpan}} (also known as '''melon pan''', '''melon bun''' or '''melon bread''') is a type of [[sweet roll|sweet bun]] originating from and popular in [[Japan]]. They are made from an enriched dough covered in a thin layer of crisp cookie dough. Their appearance resembles a [[melon]], such as a rock melon ([[cantaloupe]]). They are not traditionally melon flavored,<ref>Kazuko, Emi: Japanese Food and Cooking</ref> but in recent times it has become popular for manufacturers to add melon flavoring to melon bread. Variations exist, including some with a few [[chocolate]] chips between the cookie layer and the enriched dough layer, and non-melon versions flavored with caramel, maple syrup, chocolate, or other flavors, sometimes with syrup, whipped or flavored cream, or custard as a filling. In the case of such variations, the name may drop the word "melon", instead replacing it with the name of the contents (such as "maple pan" for a [[maple syrup]]-flavored bread) or may keep it despite the lack of melon flavor (such as "chocolate melon pan").
A {{nihongo|'''melonpan'''|メロンパン|meronpan}} (also known as '''melon pan''', '''melon bun''' or '''melon bread''') is a type of Japanese [[Sweet roll|sweetbun]] that is well known across the country and widely popular throughout China and Taiwan. The sweetbun is made from an enriched dough covered in a thin layer of crisp cookie dough. Their appearance resembles a [[melon]], such as a rock melon ([[cantaloupe]]). They are not traditionally melon flavored,<ref>Kazuko, Emi: Japanese Food and Cooking</ref> but in recent times, it has become popular for manufacturers to add melon flavoring to melon bread. Variations exist, including some with a few [[chocolate]] chips between the cookie layer and the enriched dough layer, and non-melon versions flavored with caramel, maple syrup, chocolate, or other flavors, sometimes with syrup, whipped or flavored cream, or custard as a filling. In the case of such variations, the name may drop the word "melon", instead replacing it with the name of the contents (such as "maple pan" for a [[maple syrup]] flavored bread) or may keep it despite the lack of melon flavor (such as "chocolate melon pan").


The name has a bilingual [[etymology]], since "melon" is a [[loan word]] from [[English language|English]], while {{transl|ja|"[[Japanese words of Portuguese origin|pan]]"}}<ref name="Portuguese">See [http://dictionary.www.infoseek.co.jp/?spa=&sc=1&se=on&lp=0&gr=ml&qt=%A4%D1%A4%F3&sm=1&sv=2T Infoseek Japanese-English dictionary for pan/パン]{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}} and [[Japanese words of Portuguese origin]]</ref> is from the [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] word for [[bread]].
The name has a dual [[etymology]], since "melon" is a [[loan word]] from [[English language|English]], while {{transliteration|ja|"[[Japanese words of Portuguese origin|pan]]"}}<ref name="Portuguese">See [http://dictionary.www.infoseek.co.jp/?spa=&sc=1&se=on&lp=0&gr=ml&qt=%A4%D1%A4%F3&sm=1&sv=2T Infoseek Japanese-English dictionary for pan/パン]{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}} and [[Japanese words of Portuguese origin]]</ref> is from the [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] word for [[bread]].


In parts of the [[Kansai region|Kansai]], [[Chūgoku region|Chūgoku]], and [[Shikoku]] regions, a variation with a radiating line pattern is called "sunrise", and many residents of these regions call even the cross-hatched melon pan "sunrise".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://weekend.nikkei.co.jp/kiko/map/sunrise/ |title="Melon Pan"/"Sunrise" dialect survey map from Nikkei |access-date=2007-04-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012215202/http://weekend.nikkei.co.jp/kiko/map/sunrise/ |archive-date=2007-10-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In parts of the [[Kansai region|Kansai]], [[Chūgoku region|Chūgoku]], and [[Shikoku]] regions, a variation with a radiating line pattern is called "sunrise", and many residents of these regions call even the cross-hatched melon pan "sunrise".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://weekend.nikkei.co.jp/kiko/map/sunrise/ |title='Melon Pan'/'Sunrise' Dialect Survey Map from Nikkei |access-date=2007-04-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012215202/http://weekend.nikkei.co.jp/kiko/map/sunrise/ |archive-date=2007-10-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref>


Melonpan and [[soboro-ppang]] from [[Korea]] are very similar. By comparison, the Japanese style is lighter in weight and taste, slightly drier and has a firmer outer layer (including top cookie crust) which resists flaking, unlike its Korea counterpart, whose top cookie crust tends to flake easily. The Korean version is also moister, and is generally soft on the outside and inside, with a stronger butter flavour.
Melonpan and [[pineapple bun]] from [[Hong Kong]] are very similar. By comparison, the Japanese style is lighter in weight and taste, slightly drier and has a firmer outer layer (including top cookie crust) which resists flaking, unlike its Hong Kong counterpart, whose top cookie crust tends to flake easily. The Hong Kong version is also moister, and is generally soft on the outside and inside, with a stronger butter flavour.


== History ==
== History ==
There are several competing theories about melonpan's origin.
In 1910, [[Okura Kihachiro]] brought an Armenian baker, Hovhannes Ghevenian, also known as Ivan Sagoyan, to [[Tokyo]]. Sagoyan worked at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo and invented melonpan.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bakhchinyan |first1=Artsvi |title=The Armenian Who Invented the Japanese Sweet Bun |url=https://mirrorspectator.com/2019/10/03/the-armenian-who-invented-the-japanese-sweet-bun/ |website=[[The Armenian Mirror-Spectator]] |access-date=10 June 2021 |date=3 October 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Bakkalian |first1=Nyri |title=The Bittersweet Armenian History of Japan's Beloved Sweet Bun |url=https://unseenjapan.com/melonpan-the-bittersweet-armenian-history-of-japans-beloved-sweet-bun/ |website=[[Unseen Japan]] |access-date=21 September 2021 |date=21 September 2021}}</ref>
* One theory is that after [[World War I]], [[Okura Kihachiro]] brought an Armenian baker, Hovhannes Ghevenian, also known as Ivan Sagoyan, to [[Tokyo]]. Sagoyan worked at the [[Imperial Hotel, Tokyo|Imperial Hotel]] in Tokyo and invented the bread following Russian, French, and Viennese baking techniques. However, if Sagoyan was indeed the inventor, he did not refer to the bread as "melonpan".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bakhchinyan |first1=Artsvi |title=The Armenian Who Invented the Japanese Sweet Bun |url=https://mirrorspectator.com/2019/10/03/the-armenian-who-invented-the-japanese-sweet-bun/ |website=[[The Armenian Mirror-Spectator]] |access-date=10 June 2021 |date=3 October 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bakkalian |first=Nyri |date=2021-09-21 |title=Melonpan: The Japan Sweet Bread's Armenian History |url=https://unseen-japan.com/melonpan-armenian-history/ |access-date=2023-07-27 |website=Unseen Japan |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>"Hong Kong's Pineapple Bun | Shall we Lotte | Lover of Your Taste Buds - Lotte" (Japanese). Lotte. https://www.lotte.co/entertainment/shallwelotte/story/stamp/buttered-pineapple-bun/. Accessed on April 19, 2023.</ref>
* Alternatively, the bread (specifically its shape and method of production) invented by the bakery owner Kikujiro Mitsugawa in 1930 could have been melonpan. Records from the time describe covering the bread dough with cake dough and adding flavors like coffee or banana, albeit with no mention of the bread's name.<ref>Kazuko Higashishima, ''The Truth about Melonpan''. Kodansha (Kindle), 2007. ASIN B08MF2LH4C.</ref>
* Another theory states that the round bread with biscuit dough on top called "Sunrise" sold by Kinseido's Obama branch in Kobe in the 1930s was the first melonpan in Japan.
* Other theories point to origins in the Mexican pastry ''[[Concha|conchas]]'' and the German pastry ''[[Streuselkuchen]]'', which were introduced to Japan from the United States following [[World War II]].<ref>Kazuko Higashishima, ''The Truth about Melonpan''. Kodansha (Kindle), 2007. ASIN B08MF2LH4C.</ref>


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
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* [[Pan dulce#Conchas (shells)|Conchas]]
* [[Pan dulce#Conchas (shells)|Conchas]]
* [[Pineapple bun]]
* [[Pineapple bun]]
* [[Soboro bread]]
* [[Soboro-ppang]]
* [[List of buns]]
* [[List of buns]]


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==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category|Melonpan}}
* [http://www.lerman.biz/asagao/melonpan.html Melon Pan Recipe]
* [http://www.lerman.biz/asagao/melonpan.html Melon Pan Recipe]


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{{Bread}}
{{Bread}}


⚫
[[Category:Buns]]
[[Category:Japanese breads]]
[[Category:Japanese breads]]
[[Category:Japanese desserts and sweets]]
[[Category:Japanese desserts and sweets]]
[[Category:Sweet breads]]
[[Category:Sweet breads]]
[[Category:Yeast breads]]
[[Category:Yeast breads]]
⚫
[[Category:Buns]]

Latest revision as of 06:29, 20 April 2024

Melonpan
Alternative names
  • Melon pan
  • Melon bun
  • Melon bread
TypeSweet bun
Place of originJapan
Region or stateEast Asia
Main ingredients

A melonpan (メロンパン, meronpan) (also known as melon pan, melon bun or melon bread) is a type of Japanese sweetbun that is well known across the country and widely popular throughout China and Taiwan. The sweetbun is made from an enriched dough covered in a thin layer of crisp cookie dough. Their appearance resembles a melon, such as a rock melon (cantaloupe). They are not traditionally melon flavored,[1] but in recent times, it has become popular for manufacturers to add melon flavoring to melon bread. Variations exist, including some with a few chocolate chips between the cookie layer and the enriched dough layer, and non-melon versions flavored with caramel, maple syrup, chocolate, or other flavors, sometimes with syrup, whipped or flavored cream, or custard as a filling. In the case of such variations, the name may drop the word "melon", instead replacing it with the name of the contents (such as "maple pan" for a maple syrup flavored bread) or may keep it despite the lack of melon flavor (such as "chocolate melon pan").

The name has a dual etymology, since "melon" is a loan word from English, while "pan"[2] is from the Portuguese word for bread.

In parts of the Kansai, Chūgoku, and Shikoku regions, a variation with a radiating line pattern is called "sunrise", and many residents of these regions call even the cross-hatched melon pan "sunrise".[3]

Melonpan and pineapple bun from Hong Kong are very similar. By comparison, the Japanese style is lighter in weight and taste, slightly drier and has a firmer outer layer (including top cookie crust) which resists flaking, unlike its Hong Kong counterpart, whose top cookie crust tends to flake easily. The Hong Kong version is also moister, and is generally soft on the outside and inside, with a stronger butter flavour.

History[edit]

There are several competing theories about melonpan's origin.

  • One theory is that after World War I, Okura Kihachiro brought an Armenian baker, Hovhannes Ghevenian, also known as Ivan Sagoyan, to Tokyo. Sagoyan worked at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo and invented the bread following Russian, French, and Viennese baking techniques. However, if Sagoyan was indeed the inventor, he did not refer to the bread as "melonpan".[4][5][6]
  • Alternatively, the bread (specifically its shape and method of production) invented by the bakery owner Kikujiro Mitsugawa in 1930 could have been melonpan. Records from the time describe covering the bread dough with cake dough and adding flavors like coffee or banana, albeit with no mention of the bread's name.[7]
  • Another theory states that the round bread with biscuit dough on top called "Sunrise" sold by Kinseido's Obama branch in Kobe in the 1930s was the first melonpan in Japan.
  • Other theories point to origins in the Mexican pastry conchas and the German pastry Streuselkuchen, which were introduced to Japan from the United States following World War II.[8]

Gallery[edit]

  • Homemade melon buns
    Homemade melon buns
  • Melonpan variety containing chocolate chips
    Melonpan variety containing chocolate chips
  • Jumbo Melonpan for sale in Asakusa
    Jumbo Melonpan for sale in Asakusa

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Kazuko, Emi: Japanese Food and Cooking
  2. ^ See Infoseek Japanese-English dictionary for pan/パン[permanent dead link] and Japanese words of Portuguese origin
  3. ^ "'Melon Pan'/'Sunrise' Dialect Survey Map from Nikkei". Archived from the original on 2007-10-12. Retrieved 2007-04-04.
  4. ^ Bakhchinyan, Artsvi (3 October 2019). "The Armenian Who Invented the Japanese Sweet Bun". The Armenian Mirror-Spectator. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  5. ^ Bakkalian, Nyri (2021-09-21). "Melonpan: The Japan Sweet Bread's Armenian History". Unseen Japan. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
  6. ^ "Hong Kong's Pineapple Bun | Shall we Lotte | Lover of Your Taste Buds - Lotte" (Japanese). Lotte. https://www.lotte.co/entertainment/shallwelotte/story/stamp/buttered-pineapple-bun/. Accessed on April 19, 2023.
  7. ^ Kazuko Higashishima, The Truth about Melonpan. Kodansha (Kindle), 2007. ASIN B08MF2LH4C.
  8. ^ Kazuko Higashishima, The Truth about Melonpan. Kodansha (Kindle), 2007. ASIN B08MF2LH4C.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Melonpan&oldid=1219849569"