korean restaurant / The flower of winter snacks, convenience store Anpan – 576

In December, winter came to an end. Since it's the end of the year, my body, mind, and bank account are really getting worse. Sirin will soothe my heart… I want to know the road too. However, there is a winter companion that warms only my hands and stomach warmly (and cheaply) when it's sore. Anpan, bread eaten well together. At some point, I took a seat at a convenience store, and when I saw the Anpan steamer that was taking up, I realized, “Ah, it's really winter now.” (When this anpan disappears from convenience stores, it's one year older… It's cold.)

Many people ask about the difference between anpan and steamed bread. The answer to this vague question from a previous gag program was the presence or absence of “paper.” If you eat it right away when it's hot, it's steamed bread; if you remove the paper and eat it, it's anpan. (… Ohora!)

In fact, anpan and steamed bread are the same food. After liberation, flour was distributed as food aid for the US military, and red beans and various kinds of soy sauce were added to bread swollen with table soda and steamed food began to be eaten. This is the beginning of steamed bread. Then, in 71, mass production under the name “Anpan” began by a bakery company, and the following year, the status of “anpan” increased even more as steam cans for sale became popular. In this way, the name of the product “anpan” began to be commonly used as the name of the food.

[First TV commercial for “Sam*Anpan” released in 1971]

* In fact, “anpan” is a trademark created with the meaning of “it's hot and bursts” and “the whole family smiles and eats together.” From now on, I'll write “steamed bread,” which is the name of the food.

It is said that the cumulative sales volume of steamed bread, which is mainly sold between October and February, surpassed a whopping 5.6 billion pieces last winter, so winter is the season for steamed buns no matter who wants it. They practice 2.5 anpanes per person every winter. Considering that it would be even more if I included hand-flavored steamed bread sold at the market… for today's post, I went to a nearby convenience store and cleared Chi-Steamed Bread for 2 years! Sizzling steam, white seaweed… Where can you see, what kind of steamed buns came out this year?

1. The classic steamed bread, steamed red bean paste (900 won)

The origin of steamed bread that hasn't changed since the beginning. If you cut white bread, the seaweed will appear sweet red beans! The sweet, soft, and sweet red bean beef that melts in your mouth when you take a bite has a charm that makes you come back for more no matter how many new flavors appear. What do I need to say, that sweet and savory taste that everyone knows!

2. Two mountains of steamed bread, steamed vegetable bread (1,100 won)

Back in the days when there were only steamed red bean buns, vegetable steamed buns, which are so familiar now, were so ambitious that the person in charge even enrolled in a cooking school and studied in Japan. In a nutshell, steamed bread has a deeper history than I thought. Since it was released at the cost burden, the manufacturing cost seems to be slightly higher than steamed red bean bread..? That's why 200 won is expensive! Vegetable gyoza has a taste similar to cow's, and it feels healthy because of its greenish appearance and the name “vegetable.” The combination of light steamed bread and the salty vegetable beef, which is quite plentiful, seems to be the secret to the long run!

3. The new world of steamed bread, pizza steamed bread (1,100 won)

Pizza steamed bread is considered one of the top three steamed buns in the retail industry along with red beans and vegetables. That means it's such a popular menu. I don't know exactly when it was released, but I remember being enthusiastic when I saw the orange steamed bread displayed in the supermarket in front of the school when I was in Choding. At the time, honey butter chips and Sunhari yuzu flavors were just as hard to obtain as they were when they were first released. Pizza steamed bread tastes like pizza bread eaten on really soft bread. Steamed bread is relatively irritating to the senses due to the strong flavor and aroma of the sauce. I think I saw a little bit of cheese before… The flavors were similar, but it was disappointing that the cheese wasn't visible and the filling wasn't bad, probably because of the unit price. (Did you heat it too long at a convenience store…)

4. Newborn baby in the steamed bread world, pure milk steamed bread (1,000 won)

This is a hot new product launched in the 2014 & 2015 winter season. Barely a great deal at the convenience store I entered for the sixth time! According to the seller, the most popular steamed bread these days is milk steamed bread. They say they sell out quickly from the moment you remove the package, put it in a steamer, and heat it up. This milk steamed bread contains milk from the bread dough. It's kneaded with organic milk and rice flour and filled with condensed milk custard, so it's really white. When you take a bite, the scent of condensed milk spreads throughout your mouth. Along with the chewy and savory bread, it's just the right amount without being too sweet. (Maybe the expression “sweet side” would be more appropriate..?) Thanks to the bread, there is no residue unique to cream left in the mouth. If you usually like custard pudding and dairy products, you'll fall in love with the appeal of steamed milk buns for a while.

5. Like steamed buns, not steamed buns, you like steamed buns1, spicy Szechuan king gyoza (1,200 won)

Why are they dumplings all of a sudden? Outwardly, it looks just like steamed bread! Also, it was the size of a steamed bun and was being heated with the steamed bread in the steamed bun steamer! So I'll introduce them together. It looks similar to pizza steamed bread, but Szechuan king gyoza has a pointed skewer like a peach (?) It's there. Other than this shape, it's actually not boring at all. The texture of the bread is also close to steamed bread. Szechuan king gyoza, which has quite a lot of meat flavor, has a slight sweetness in the bread, probably because of the irritating beef. Highly recommended for those who like spicy food! What was the first taste? Slightly spicy. However, it's a bit disappointing to use Sichuan names. What about the second bite? Seems a little spicy. By the time I've almost finished eating? It's spicy! It's not the spiciness that comes up from the beginning, but the spiciness that slowly gets stronger! It's not painful, so don't worry, but if you don't eat spicy food, I recommend eating it with other steamed buns as a mouthfeel. The pungent taste in the mouth disappears quickly if you get upset in your mouth.

6. Like steamed buns, not steamed buns, you like steamed buns 2, dambaek king dumplings (1,200 won)

Four Heavenly King Dumplings and Brothers Line. Therefore, the king dumplings also looked steamed. Also, the texture of the bread is fluffy, so it's steamy. Since it's a product from the same company as Szechenwang gyoza, you can still feel a slight sweetness in the bread. However, it is not an artificial sweetness, but a slight sweetness. (Actually, I'm not sure about the employee sitting next to me. But I have a keen sense of taste!) Beef is similar to regular king dumpling beef, but the steamed bread texture is thicker than the dumpling skin, so it has a slightly stronger aroma and flavor. It's similar to steamed vegetable bread, but it has a slightly stronger pepper flavor and contains thick vermicelli, and the size of the contents is slightly larger, so you can enjoy the crunchier flavor. (The texture of the size seems to be favored or disliked depending on taste) The filling is quite filling. Is this the difference of 100 won? If you're not hungry but want a light snack, I recommend steamed vegetable buns, and when you're feeling a little hungry, I recommend king gyoza.

It's not steamed bread that can be easily tasted at convenience stores, but an investment in labor to steam it yourself or put it back in the microwave (?) If you're ready to do it, go to a supermarket or online shop. It's fun to choose and eat a much wider variety of steamed buns, such as steamed steamed bread, steamed rice bread, and steamed black rice bread.