rss551 Horai
If you haven’t had a pork bun from Horai, then you’re in for a treat. Steamed pork buns are one of those imported foods that Japan has reinvented for themselves. You may have had Chinese pork buns, but Japanese ones are different. The pork inside is mixed with scallions, or chopped bamboo or shiitake mushrooms and flavored instead of stuffed by itself. Modern ones might be flavored with curry, or stuffed with beef, or even tomato and cheese. In Tokyo, people call them “meat buns”, thereby expanding their definition, but in Osaka, they’re just “pork buns”. You can find a variety of pork buns in any convenience store in winter, but very few are good since they’ve been sitting there for hours. Horai makes some of the best. The bun on the outside is slightly sweet and chewy. The pork inside is juicy and plentiful. People generally eat pork buns with a little mustard and Worcestire sauce, but Horai pork buns are best eaten by themselves or with just a little Japanese yellow mustard.
One is filling enough for a snack, but you’ll be tempted to have two. I was reading that in Osaka, Horai pork buns are a popular gift when visiting homes in winters — they’re so known that all you have to say is 551 for people to know that you’re referring to Horai.
If you ever pass a Daimaru department store in Osaka or Kyoto station, a walk around the prepared foods section is a must-do. Look for the store with a red lettering and a long line in front of it.