Combined Sando (brief for “sandwiches”) is a basic set menu merchandise for Japanese sandwiches made with delicate and tender Japanese milk bread. They’re discovered at cafes, eating places, bakeries, and konbini (comfort shops) all throughout Japan. Dwelling cooks make them for his or her youngsters’s bentos and household picnics, too. Right here, I present you three standard forms of fillings: Tuna salad, tamago (egg salad), and ham and cheese with lettuce.
Japanese sandwiches like Katsu Sando and Tamago Sando have discovered their spots in right now’s meals world and popular culture. However as you will have guessed, there’s extra to find! In the present day I’m introducing probably the most basic sandwiches that must be in your radar: Combined Sando (ミックスサンド).
Tucked inside fluffy slices of crustless bread and served as a set, these sandwiches are completely easy but unmistakably comforting and nostalgic. Let’s make blended sando at dwelling!
What’s Japanese Sandwich ‘Combined Sando’?
Combined sando (ミックスサンド) sometimes refers to three completely different sandwiches served as a set. Nothing fancy, however it’s a commonplace fashion of sandwich in Japan. The fillings embody:
- Ham and cheese with lettuce
- Tuna salad
- Egg salad (tamago)
Each tuna and egg sandwiches are delicate and creamy. The ham, cheese, and lettuce sandwiches add a pleasant crisp distinction. Collectively, they make a tasty combo that’s well-balanced in texture, style, and visible.
You will discover blended sandos all over the place: at cafes, eating places, grocery shops, bakeries, and konbini (comfort shops). As a result of they’re satisfying and nutritious, Japanese dwelling cooks additionally love making these blended sandwiches for his or her youngsters’s bentos and picnics.

The way to Make Combined Sando
Substances You’ll Want
- Shokupan (Japanese milk bread) – The important thing part that makes the sandwich uniquely Japanese. I’ll discuss this extra under.
- Butter – You used spreadable salted butter
- Kewpie Japanese mayonnaise – You should purchase it on Amazon or make it your self
- Mustard – Elective; I skipped it as my household shouldn’t be keen on mustard.
- Salt and black pepper
- For Ham and Cheese Sandwich – Sliced ham, sliced cheese (I exploit Swiss), iceberg lettuce, and sliced Japanese/Persian cucumber
- For Tuna Sandwich – Canned tuna and minced onion
- For Egg Sandwich – Laborious-boiled eggs and milk
Overview: Cooking Steps
- Make tuna salad and egg salad.
- Put together the remainder of the elements (rinse the lettuce, slice the cucumber, and many others.).
- Lower the shokupan (Japanese milk bread) into skinny slices (about 1-1.2 cm) and unfold the butter, mayonnaise, and mustard (non-compulsory) on one facet of the slice.
- Add the sandwich fillings for every kind of sandwich and press it down by inserting a plate on prime.
- Slice off the crust of the sandwiches and lower them into smaller rectangular shapes.

Sorts of Sandwich Bread You Want
One distinct attribute of Japanese sandwiches is the usage of Shokupan (Japanese Milk Bread).
How is it completely different from the western fashion loaf of sandwich bread? Shokupan is thought for its milky-sweet style, extremely fluffy texture, and pillowy softness. There’s a lightness to the bread, which I feel defines the essence of Japanese sandwiches.
You’ll be able to both make your individual milk bread or decide up a loaf out of your native Asian grocery retailer. The pre-sliced shokupan for sandwiches comes with a 1 cm or 1.2 cm thickness, so that you don’t have to chop the bread your self. Nonetheless, should you plan to make the shokupan for sandwiches, it’s not simple handy slice the bread to a fair 1-1.2 cm thickness.
I used Black Sesame Shokupan for this blended sando recipe, however you’ll be able to definitely use plain white shokupan.
If you happen to actually don’t have entry to Japanese milk bread however nonetheless want to make the recipe, go for the fluffiest, softest white bread yow will discover.

Once I was rising up in Yokohama, Japan, the favored native bakery referred to as Pompadour had blended sandos made with black sesame milk bread. I’ve main cravings for sandwiches, so I made one for this recipe.
The black sesame seeds add a stunning nutty and earthy style to the delicate milk bread. In case you have tried the basic plain shokupan, you might want to make this black sesame model right now as it’s the next-level bread for Japanese sandwiches.
Tricks to Make Japanese Sandwich ‘Combined Sando’
- Use butter to protect the bread from moisture. I extremely suggest spreading the butter because it acts as a water-proof protect/barrier so the bread stays dry, not soggy.
- Use Kewpie Japanese mayonnaise. For Japanese sandwiches, Japanese mayo is a should. It has a distinctly candy, bitter, umami-rich taste that’s essential for the sandwiches.
- Press down the sandwich earlier than slicing. Place a plate on prime of the sandwiches. Weighing the sandwich helps to compress all the things so the bread and the elements are certain collectively higher.
- Lower off the crust of the bread. That is for the basic Japanese sandwich look. I do eat the crust after I make the sandwiches… no meals waste. 🙂

What to Serve with Japanese Sandwiches
Different Basic Japanese Sandwiches





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Japanese Sandwich (Combined Sando)
Combined Sando (brief for “sandwiches”) is a basic set menu merchandise for Japanese sandwiches made with delicate and tender Japanese milk bread. They’re discovered at cafes, eating places, bakeries, and konbini (comfort shops) all throughout Japan. Dwelling cooks make them for his or her youngsters’s bentos and household picnics, too. Right here, I present you three standard forms of fillings: Tuna salad, tamago (egg salad), and ham and cheese with lettuce.
Substances
For the Ham and Cheese Filling
Directions
To Assemble the Sandwiches
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Collect the filling elements for the three forms of sandwiches.
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In case your bread shouldn’t be pre-sliced, lower the shokupan into six skinny slices, every about ⅓ to ½ inch (1 to 1.2 cm) thick. Lay out the six bread slices for the three sandwiches.
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Utilizing a butter knife, unfold a skinny layer of butter on all six slices. For the Tamago Sando, scoop one portion of egg salad onto one of many slices and unfold to distribute evenly.
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For the Ham and Cheese Sando, unfold the Japanese mayo (and mustard, if desired) onto two of the buttered slices. On a type of slices, layer the iceberg lettuce, ham, cheese, and the cucumber slices on prime.
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For the Tuna Sando, scoop the tuna salad onto one of many remaining sandwich slices and unfold evenly. Put the opposite slice of bread on prime, buttered facet down. For the Ham and Cheese Sando, put the slice on prime that has each the butter and mayonnaise, unfold facet down. Lastly, put the remaining slice of bread on prime of the egg salad, buttered facet down. Then, place plates on prime of the sandwiches to compress the elements barely. Put aside for five minutes.
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After 5 minutes, take away the plates. If you would like, lower the crusts off the sandwiches.
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Lower every sandwich horizontally into thirds for 3 equal rectangular items. They’re now able to serve. For every serving, prepare one piece of every kind of sandwich onto a plate for a complete of three items. Within the picture to the suitable, I present current two servings in a carry-out field.