Two days ago I posted a photo of my lunch, which included what I described as a “fruit cream sandwich” (a literal translation of how it was described on the menu that day). While fruit sandwiches are extremely common (and beloved) in Japan, this photo seemed to elicit a number of negative reactions among the Avocado community, ranging from confusion to derision to outright disgust.
I will concede that the photo of cream with bananas, pineapples and mandarin on a hot dog bun that I shared the other day in no way resembles the sandwiches in the image above, but it did taste good. Moreover, keep in mind that it was a SCHOOL LUNCH version of the beloved fruit sandwich, assembled in a large quantity by busy teachers at a kindergarten (including myself) in a very short amount of time for a group of hungry children ages 3 to 6 years old.
As for the rest of the meal – which was also met with some criticism – while it did seem chaotic (meatball soup! curried cabbage sauté!), not particularly visually appealing, and honestly did nothing to complement the fruit cream sandwich, I am happy to report that, in addition to making for a nutritionally-balanced meal (while also working with strict budget constraints), everything tasted good. Furthermore, everything on offer proved so popular with the children that many went back for seconds and, unlike most weeks, there was literally no food leftover by the end of our lunch time.
Confession: I am not particularly fond of fruit sandwiches. I much prefer a savory option myself. But in the future, I would implore those of you who have a narrow definition of what constitutes a sandwich to be open to the possibility that a sandwich can contain fruit and cream, and that many people enjoy these sandwiches (especially when keeping in mind what America and other countries have done to sushi over the years). If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading. And I hope you have a nice lunch today!
Optional discussion prompt: What is your favorite “weird” sandwich?
Have a Great Day Thread, Avocado!