Ham and cheese. Peanut butter and jelly. Whipped cream and strawberries. Which one of these sandwiches does not belong? To the Western eye, the answer is obvious. And yet, if you stroll the aisles of any Japanese convenience store, furutsu sando, or fruit sandwiches, are a common sight. Sweet sandwiches exist outside of Japan, of course—think peanut butter and jelly, or even the Fluffernutter. But it’s not only the filling that sets fruit sandwiches apart. Bakeries don’t use whole wheat or rye to make them. Instead, they use shokupan, the…
