Kombu-Pan: Toyama’s Specialty Kelp Seaweed Bread
Today when I was eating dinner watching TV, local specialty foods of Toyama Prefecture were introduced on a TV show.
Among them, there was one thing that I had never heard of before.
Seaweed Bread Kombu-Pan
Image: takaoka-konbu.com
That is seaweed bread called “Kombu-Pan (昆布パン: Kombu Bread)”.
It is made with locally made rice flour and kombu (kelp) from Hokkaido, the northernmost prefecture of Japan.
I live in Niigata Prefecture adjoining Toyama, to which I have been many times.
But I had never heard of the bread.
The seaweed bread Kombu-Pan is produced by “Sawaya Shokuhin (さわや食品)” located in Imizu City and now seems to be widely loved by the locals of Toyama.
According to some online sources, the triangular white bread is priced at 162 yen (about 1.6 USD), and its texture is soft.
It not only uses shredded kelp but even contains apple juice. So when munching, kombu’s umami and apple’s sweetness come over together.
Since Kombu-Pan is not available online, next time I visit Toyama, I’ll give it a try and want to know what it exactly tastes like.
