Melonpan
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/68/Melonbuns1.jpg/220px-Melonbuns1.jpg)
Melonpan, also known as Melon pan or Melon buns, are sweet bakery products popular in Japan, made from brioche covered in a thin layer of crispy cookie dough. Their appearance resembles a melon, such as a rock melon (cantaloupe). They are mildly melon flavored, with a melon essence to enhance the aroma. Variations exist, including some with a few chocolate chips between the cookie layer and the brioche layer, and non-melon versions flavored with caramel, maple syrup, chololate or other flavors, sometimes with syrup, whipped or flavored cream, or custard as a filling.
The word has an interesting etymology, since melon is a loan word from English, while pan is a loan word from the Portuguese for bread.
Melonpan and pineapple bun from Hong Kong are very similar.
Popular culture
- In the popular Japanese children's anime Anpanman, Anpanman has a sidekick named Meronpanna who is an anthropomorphic version of the bakery item. Melonpan is also mentioned in many other manga and anime series as a preferred food of one or more characters.
- The Japanese game show Hey! Spring of Trivia hands out an award labeled The Golden Brain to the most interesting piece of trivia presented. The award is a small brain figurine on a pedestal; doors on the trophy open out to reveal melon bread that accompanies the prize.
- In the Japanese anime Yakitate, episode 13, newcomers to the bread chain Pantasia participate in a melonpan competition. It is explained that melonpan has a flaw: the cookie dough and the bread bake at different rates, and because of this the cookie dough covering is almost always underbaked so that the bread inside will not burn.