FamilyMart has been selling the new “Morinaga-supervised Hotcake Bun (An Butter),” a collaboration between Morinaga & Co. and Imuraya, at approximately 16,500 stores across Japan since September 15. The product is priced at ¥190 including tax. This time, CakeNews tried the new flavor.
6 Images of the Morinaga-supervised Hotcake Bun (An Butter) and More
When held in the hand, the bun feels slightly on the small side. It is a good size for a quick snack, although anyone looking for a more substantial sweet treat may find one is not quite enough and be tempted to have a second.
We first cut the bun open to check the cross section. Since it is a chukaman—the Japanese term commonly used for hot, steamed buns sold at convenience stores—we expected it might fall apart easily, but it actually sliced quite neatly. Inside, both chunky red bean paste and butter filling were clearly visible. Even while warm, the butter filling had not completely melted away and still retained its shape.
The first thing that comes through when taking a bite is the pronounced sweetness of Imuraya’s tsubuan. Tsubuan is a traditional Japanese sweet red bean paste made from azuki beans, with some of the beans left partially intact to give it a chunkier texture. The richness of the butter filling follows, creating a well-balanced combination of sweet red bean paste and butter.
The dough, made with eggs and milk, is soft and fluffy. Its warm, tender texture has a comforting quality, especially when eaten fresh and hot.
Despite the name “hotcake,” the product should not be confused with a conventional Western pancake. In Japan, the word hotcake commonly refers to thick, fluffy, mildly sweet pancakes, often served as a dessert or snack. This bun recreates that familiar Japanese hotcake-style flavor in steamed-bun form and pairs it with the classic combination of red bean paste and butter, making it especially well suited to the cooler fall and winter months.
The “Morinaga-supervised Hotcake Bun” is a sweet-style chukaman made with dough containing eggs and milk and filled with a butter-flavored filling and a sauce made with Morinaga’s cake syrup. From its launch in January 2021 through July 2026, cumulative sales surpassed 7 million units.
Related Post
[Taste Test] FamilyMart’s New “Nama Canelé Stick Cake” Is Surprisingly Chewy
Taste Test in Japan: Lawson’s Tsukimi Custard Pudding Tart Evokes the Full Moon—even in Cross-Section
Starbucks Japan Launches a Beni Haruka and Anno Imo Sweet Potato Cake — and It’s Surprisingly Good