Shio Pan

塩パン

Shio means salt and pan means bread.

“Salt bread” originated in Japan around the early 2000s, notably from bakeries like Tamagawa in Ehime Prefecture. It’s a crescent-shaped roll with a soft, fluffy interior, butter stuffed inside that melts during baking to create a crispy, salty base, and flaked sea salt on top.​

The bread gained viral fame in Korea as “sogeum-ppang” (소금빵), leading to creative fillings like matcha or pistachio, which influenced versions in Koreatown LA.

In Japan, it remains a simple, buttery staple without the elaborate twists.​