Japanese milk bread, known as shokupan, and milk buns are becoming a significant food trend in the UK, propelled by viral videos on platforms like TikTok. These soft, lightly sweet yeast breads have seen a substantial increase in consumer interest and supermarket sales.
Waitrose, for example, reported a 617% rise in website searches for "Japanese milk buns" in the past month, with sales climbing by 27% during the same period. Emilie Wolfman, Waitrose's world foods product developer, described the trend as "one of the most exciting food trends we’ve seen cross over from social media into mainstream kitchens."
Beyond social media, the popularity of milk buns is also attributed to London's burger restaurants and East Asian bakeries. Black Bear Burger, a London chain, uses milk buns for its smash burgers and fried chicken, while Bun House in Chinatown offers Cantonese-style baked milk buns.
The broader interest in Japanese cuisine is also evident, with Waitrose noting a 41% increase in Miso Tasty ramen paste sales and a 22% rise in Miso Tasty soup paste sales compared to last year.