TOKYO - A crispy, savory bread known as “mentaiko France” is drawing long lines and racking up viral views on social media, with specialty shops emerging and demand surging as the rich, roe-filled baguette gains momentum across Japan.
The popular savory bread, prized for its crisp exterior and juicy, flavor-packed filling, has become a social media sensation, with some bakeries now attracting queues as customers seek out the indulgent baguette topped generously with spicy cod roe sauce.
At a popular bakery in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward visited by N-Sta, more than 80 varieties of bread line the shelves, but customers have one clear favorite: mentaiko France. This shop’s version stands out for its especially generous use of mentaiko.
Customer: "It looked like it had far more mentaiko than a regular mentaiko France."
The key feature is the abundance of mentaiko sauce. Fermented butter and mayonnaise are first blended together before a large quantity of mentaiko is added and mixed thoroughly to create a rich sauce.
Deep slits are cut into the bread to allow the sauce to soak in fully, and the mixture is packed into the cuts before the bread is lightly baked again, producing a finished loaf so full of sauce it nearly spills out.
Freshly made mentaiko France offers a crunchy texture followed by a juicy burst of flavor, making it difficult for customers to stop at just one.
Staff: "We can really feel that a mentaiko France boom is coming. We’re so busy serving customers that bakery staff hardly get to eat it themselves."
So why has it become so popular?
Videos posted online showing mentaiko sauce overflowing from the bread have gone viral, fueling demand. Another factor is cost stability: the roe used for mentaiko comes from Alaska pollock, which is not widely consumed overseas, allowing bakeries to secure it at relatively stable prices despite broader inflation.
As more people share videos of the bread online, reservations at shops have filled quickly, further boosting its popularity.
Mentaiko France is said to have originated at a bakery in Fukuoka Prefecture. Today, even long-established mentaiko producers have begun making their own versions, expanding the bread’s reach nationwide.
Some shops are also introducing creative variations.
Customer in their 20s: "This is a mentaiko peperoncino baguette."
Customer in their 30s: "I bought the mentaiko peperoncino baguette."
At a popular shop in Tokyo’s Omotesando district, mentaiko meets peperoncino in a novel combination. Using mentaiko from Fukuoka Prefecture, the special butter infused with garlic pairs perfectly with a crisp baguette.
Customer: "The shop is from Fukuoka, so the mentaiko is really delicious and there’s plenty of it. I usually buy two or three at a time and freeze what I don’t eat that day. One is never enough."
Source: TBS
