Japan’s viral 7-Eleven egg salad sandwich launches within the U.S. Why is it so common?

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Absorb Tokyo's bustling Shibuya crossing. Go to Kyoto's Golden Pavilion temple. Marvel at Mt. Fuji. Eat a plastic-wrapped sandwich from 7-Eleven.

Of all the numerous and pleasant cultural experiences for vacationers in Japan, you may not suppose consuming an egg salad sandwich offered at a sequence belongs on the listing. However Japan's ubiquitous comfort retailer sandwiches have a cult-like following, and its 7-Eleven shops are described as a nationwide treasure.

There are journey blogs and guides devoted solely to them. Vacationers publish in boards asking learn how to get one by way of Canadian customs, or the place to seek out dupes again in Toronto. Customers publish TikToks the place they boast about flying 1000's of kilometres simply to get their fingers on one.

Even U.S. superstar chef Anthony Bourdain as soon as described the 7-Eleven sandwiches as "pillows of affection" in an episode of Elements Unknown.

<img loading="lazy" alt="A screenshot of an Instagram post of someone holding a sandwich" srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/91e6b66e-099e-4545-9400-23c1b6d889bd,1764972494945/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C671%2C470%29%3BResize%3D805 805w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/91e6b66e-099e-4545-9400-23c1b6d889bd,1764972494945/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C671%2C470%29%3BResize%3D1104 1104w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/91e6b66e-099e-4545-9400-23c1b6d889bd,1764972494945/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C671%2C470%29%3BResize%3D1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 762px) 93.6vw,730px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/91e6b66e-099e-4545-9400-23c1b6d889bd,1764972494945/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C671%2C470%29%3B" style="aspect-ratio:1.4276595744680851" data-cy="image-img"/> A screenshot of an Instagram publish by Australian TV character Symon Lovett from 2024 reveals off the 7-Eleven egg salad sandwich. (@symonlovett/Instagram) And now, 7-Eleven is bringing its well-known egg salad to U.S. shops, saying Wednesday that its Japanese-style tamago sando has landed, full with "pillowy milk bread and creamy egg salad made with Kewpie mayonnaise."

"Put the passport away bb. 7-Eleven’s Egg Salad Sando has formally arrived within the U.S.," the corporate posted to its 1.1 million followers on Instagram Wednesday.

As American followers rejoice, it seems like Canadians should do with out — at the least for now. When reached by CBC Information about whether or not the sandwich can be offered in Canadian shops, a spokesperson for 7-Eleven might solely affirm the sandwich's launch nationwide within the U.S.

<img loading="lazy" alt="Hands holding up a sandwich" srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/b7a3d495-4426-4d43-bb05-58f83afd53e6,1764953469973/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C2700%2C1800%29%3BResize%3D805 805w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/b7a3d495-4426-4d43-bb05-58f83afd53e6,1764953469973/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C2700%2C1800%29%3BResize%3D1104 1104w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/b7a3d495-4426-4d43-bb05-58f83afd53e6,1764953469973/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C2700%2C1800%29%3BResize%3D1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 762px) 93.6vw,730px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/b7a3d495-4426-4d43-bb05-58f83afd53e6,1764953469973/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C2700%2C1800%29%3B" style="aspect-ratio:1.5" data-cy="image-img"/> 7-Eleven launched its 'Japanese-style' egg salad sandwich to U.S. shops on Wednesday. (7-Eleven Inc.) Konbini tradition 7-Eleven operates, franchises and/or licenses greater than 13,000 shops in the US and Canada. Greater than 550 of these shops are positioned in Canada, from B.C. to Ontario, in response to the corporate's web site.

It is headquartered in Texas however owned by Tokyo's Seven & I Holdings. There are roughly 21,000 places in Japan, in response to Reuters.

As Reuters factors out, Seven & i Holdings turned the common-or-garden 7-Eleven into a well-liked meals vacation spot in Japan by serving up recent sandwiches, rice balls and rows of boxed lunches, altering how tens of millions of individuals eat.

In Japan, comfort shops, or konbini, have turn into a necessary a part of on a regular basis life, the place individuals pay payments, ship packages and decide up live performance tickets. In response to tourism web site japan-guide.com, there are greater than 50,000 konbini throughout the nation. The most important operators are 7-Eleven, Lawson and Household Mart.

Throughout all three chains, meals has been their essential driver of progress. Shops get a number of every day deliveries of sandwiches, onigiri and pre-cooked meals aimed toward shoppers too busy to cook dinner.

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7-11 is a nationwide establishment in Japan, providing clients every part from nice meals to a strategy to pay payments and ship cash. However now a takeover bid from a Canadian conglomerate has some frightened that these distinctive Japanese shops and the tradition surrounding them might change. 'Cheaper than Canadian grocery shops' "The freshness and high quality of comfort meals in Japan is subsequent stage," Robert Kirkwood, 44, of Calgary, instructed CBC Information. He travels to Japan for work about 4 instances per 12 months, and says he is a daily konbini buyer.

"It is good meals, simple to get, cheaper than Canadian grocery shops and I find it irresistible."

The corporate is now on a mission to deliver a few of its hottest meals gadgets to the U.S.

Final 12 months, Seven & i stated it's introducing greater than 200 meals gadgets in its U.S. shops — a few of them distinctly Japanese — a technique that was enthusiastically acquired by followers on social media and food-related web sites, in response to Reuters.

In the meantime vacationers have taken be aware. On the Japanese Meals subreddit, locals say that they cannot discover any sandwiches as a result of travellers snatch them up.

"To the individuals of Japan, I sincerely apologize for the 318 egg salad sandwiches I purchased every day whereas visiting your marvelous nation," somebody commented.

WATCH | The place Canadian are travelling as a substitute of the U.S.: The place Canadians are travelling as a substitute of the U.S.

New knowledge suggests Canadians are packing their baggage for locations apart from the U.S., with Buenos Aires, Osaka, Japan, and Copenhagen all seeing 100 per cent improve in spending by Canadian guests. Does the U.S. sandwich examine? It is value noting that 7-Eleven describes the U.S. model as "Japanese-style," and says it is "impressed by" the viral sensation offered in Japan.

However some followers are skeptical that the U.S. sandwich will probably be wherever close to pretty much as good. And others have identified how the American model differs from the unique, equivalent to not reducing the crusts off, and the egg-to-bread ratio being off.

"Simply since you slap a 'Japan' sticker on it doesn’t make it a JDM tamago sando. Use the correct shokupan and Kewpie … and lower the crust on off. When you’re not gonna do it proper, don’t even trouble," somebody commented on 7-Eleven's Instagram announcement.

New York-based meals influencer Jeremy Jacobowitz wrote on Instagram Friday that "the headlines are mendacity to you, however that does not imply I do not applaud the try."

When he tries the U.S. model within the video he posted, he says the bread is sweet and fluffy, but it surely's nonetheless not the identical.

"This may not provide the precise factor you will get there," he stated. "However I feel it is fairly good."

Right here in Canada, seemingly lots of people can be completely happy if the chain introduced the sandwich over — some 580,000 Canadian guests travelled to Japan in 2024, in response to World Affairs.

That stated, Kirkwood, of Calgary, is not an enormous egg salad fan, and says he is by no means eaten it in any nation. However he does want Canadian comfort shops would deliver within the Japanese famichiki, a boneless fried hen offered at Household Mart.

"It is the most effective."

<img loading="lazy" alt="A hand holds a packet that says famichiki" srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/61771fed-d360-4cfc-b8ae-3af3a6b3bb33,1764978702825/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C327%2C1206%2C1548%29%3BResize%3D805 805w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/61771fed-d360-4cfc-b8ae-3af3a6b3bb33,1764978702825/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C327%2C1206%2C1548%29%3BResize%3D1104 1104w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/61771fed-d360-4cfc-b8ae-3af3a6b3bb33,1764978702825/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C327%2C1206%2C1548%29%3BResize%3D1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 762px) 93.6vw,730px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/61771fed-d360-4cfc-b8ae-3af3a6b3bb33,1764978702825/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C327%2C1206%2C1548%29%3B" style="aspect-ratio:0.7790697674418605" data-cy="image-img"/> Robert Kirkwood of Calgary holds a famichiki, a boneless fried hen offered at Japanese comfort retailer Household Mart. (Submitted by Robert Kirkwood) [ad_2] Source link