Sweet tooth? Savoury lover? These TikTok famous Japanese sando recipes will satiate any craving. 

When you think of Japanese cuisine, I’m sure your mind jumps to sushi, ramen or miso, which would all be correct. But, in recent years, social media has shone a light on another food trend from the country that brought us the inspiration for The Ritual of Sakura and Yozakura: Sandos. 

Sandos are Japanese sandwiches, and they can be found in convenience stores across the country. Made with soft, fluffy white or milk bread, they can be savoury – often with fillings like egg mayonnaise or katsu – or sweet, with whipped cream and jewel-toned fresh fruits. 

A fusion of cultures, these sandwiches were introduced to Japanese tea houses in the 19th century. According to Kewpie (yes, the Japanese mayonnaise brand) the humble sandwich was first sold at Ofuna Station in Kamakura in 1899. Created by Tomioka Shuzo, the inspiration came from his friend Kuroda Kiyotaka (who would later become the second Prime Minister of Japan) and his discovery of sandwiches on his travels abroad. 

These Japanese-inspired sandos have popped up throughout Europe causing quite the stir on social media and city streets. But rather than queue for a sandwich, why not try making your own? Here I am sharing two typical recipes, one with an egg mayonnaise filling and another with fresh cream and fruit. Even though making sandos requires some practice, with the right tips and tricks it’s really not that hard. I assure you that I have included all of the things you need to know to succeed in the recipe. Perfect for picnics and packed lunches, these will bring a little joy to your mealtime. 

Cooking time: 20 min 

Serves: 1 

Egg sando 

Ingredients:  

• 4 large eggs (room temperature) 
• 1 ½ tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise 
• 1 scallion 
• ¾ tbsp light soy sauce 
• 1 tbsp butter 
• 2 slices soft white bread 

Steps:  

1. Make a small hole in the eggs with a pin (this makes them rounder). Bring a pan of water to a boil. Prepare two timers: one for 6 1/2 minutes and one for 10 minutes. Use a spoon to carefully lower the eggs into the water and start the timers simultaneously.
2. Meanwhile, prepare two bowls of ice-cold water (add a couple of ice cubes to cold water). After 6 ½ minutes, place 1 egg in the ice bath. This is going to be the egg in the center of the sando, with the running egg yolk. Remove once the egg is properly cooled and keep separately.
3. Once the second timer goes off after 10 minutes, place the remaining three eggs in the second ice bath and let them cool down. Once properly cooled, peel the 10-minute eggs and place them in a mixing bowl. Finely chop the green part of the spring onion (in fine snippets, not in rings) and add it to the bowl. Do the same with the mayonnaise and the soy sauce. Stir well until you have a creamy egg salad with small egg pieces.
4. Melt the butter on medium heat and fry the bread slices golden brown. You want the bread to be crispy but still a bit soft and flexible.
5. Time to assemble the sando! Spread a layer of the creamy egg salad onto one slice of the toasted bread. Place the 6 ½ minute egg on top of the egg salad. Spread the remaining egg salad over the top (try to work as neatly as possible). Close the sandwich with the other slice of bread and gently press down (you don’t want the inner egg to break!). Wrap the sando in plastic foil and wait at least 10 minutes to let the ingredients set. Halve the egg sando with a sharp knife and let the egg yolk do its magic.

Matcha and strawberry sando 

Ingredients: 

• 1 tsp jam of choice 
• 2 slices of fluffy white bread  
• 125 ml heavy cream (cold) 
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar 
• 1 tbsp matcha powder 
• 5 big, fresh strawberries 

Steps: 

1. Place the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and matcha powder in a large mixing bowl and use an electric whisk to beat until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a piping bag (or use a zip lock bag instead). 
2. Remove the stems from the strawberries. 
3. Cut an opening of around 1 centimeter in the tip of the piping bag. Pipe 1/3 of the matcha mixture onto a slice of white bread (on top of the jam) and arrange three strawberries diagonally on top (remember this diagonal line). Put the other two strawberry’s in the remaining corners. Pipe the remaining mixture over the strawberries, trying to work as neatly as possible. Use a dough scraper to flatten everything out a bit. 
4. Press the other slice of white bread on top and wrap the sando tightly in plastic foil. Use a marker to draw the diagonal line of the strawberries on the plastic, so you know where to cut later (trust me: you will forget). 
5. Place the wrapped sando on a plate and put another plate on top. Place it like this in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Carefully remove the plastic foil. Cut the sando diagonally with a sharp bread knife to reveal the filling.