Strawberry sando is the sweet, fluffy Japanese fruit sandwich that calls out to your Instagram feed. Strawberry and cream in a sandwich? Yes!  

And not only is it pretty.  It’s also super easy to make, taking just ten minutes of active time.  

You’ll need just three ingredients for this sandwich: fresh strawberries, whipped cream, and milk bread.  Simply layer the strawberries and cream between two slices of bread, cut, and your sando’s ready to instagram eat. 

What is a strawberry sando?

Well, it’s a sandwich with strawberries.  And for dessert!

Putting fruit into a sandwich may seem odd, but it’s actually quite popular in Japan.  And if you think about it, it’s a lot like the American strawberry shortcake which combines strawberries and cream with a biscuit.

The strawberry sando is part of Japan’s epic yōshoku cuisine that combines Western and Japanese flavors.  This type of food originated back in the 1870s during the Meiji Restoration when Western influence started to enter Japan.  Think sandwiches, katsus, curries, spaghettis (such as mentaiko and napolitan), potato salad, and more.   

You can eat strawberry sando on its own its own as a quick snack, or better yet serve it with a fruity drink like a strawberry milk or this homemade Korean banana milk.

How to make strawberry sando

1. Trim the crusts.  Trimming the crusts before you fill the sandwich is much easier than waiting until later.  So trim those crusts as a first step. 
2. Assemble the sandwich.  Add a layer of whipped cream to one slice of bread.  Then arrange the strawberries on top.  And then add another layer of whipped cream on top of the strawberries.  Finally, place the other slice of bread on top.
3. Chill.  Wrap the sando in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.  The chilling process firms up the cream and makes the sandwich cutting process easier.
4. Cut and serve.  Once chilled, remove from the plastic wrap, cut, and serve right away.

Tips for making strawberry sando

1. Carefully arrange the strawberries.  Plan where you’ll make the cut in the sandwich before you lay down any strawberries.  Once you do make the cut, you’ll want to slice directly through the strawberries to end up with a nice, instagrammable pattern.
2. Chill the sandwich before cutting.  The resting process let’s the whipped cream firm up a bit, so that it’s less likely to be squeezed out of the sandwich while you’re cutting it. 
3. Cut the sandwich quickly, with a sharp knife.  You’ll want to cut the sandwich with one fast cutting movement, rather than sawing motions.  A quick cut prevents the cream from smudging up the strawberries and reveals that beautiful, clean strawberry pattern you want.  Use the sharpest knife you have.  

Ingredients

Strawberries.  The star of the show.  Simple, sweet strawberries shine through.

Lightly sweetened whipped cream.  Strawberries and cream is a classic combination all over the world, including in this sandwich.

Milk bread.  Fluffy, pillowy milk bread is the best kind of bread to use for this recipe.  Milk bread loaves are rectangular in shape and can be found in Japanese and Chinese bakeries and grocery stores.

Substitutions for milk bread

Pillowy milk bread perfectly hugs the cream and strawberries and is your best bet for this sandwich.

But if you can’t find milk bread, feel free to use some white sandwich bread.  Your sandwich won’t be as light and fluffy, but it’ll still taste great.  

Avoid other breads such as whole wheat and so on.

What else can I put in a fruit sandwich?

The sky’s the limit.  Oranges, kiwi and mango are popular.  Other fruits like bananas, peaches, grapes, and blueberries would also work.  

Go ahead and use combinations of fruits together in one sandwich.  And if you want to get really artistic with it, try out making some fruit designs like tulips or marigolds.