It's a Herculean task to walk into a Japanese convenience store and not fall victim to the siren call of nikuman, or steamed pork buns, sold at the hot food corner near the register. Available in flavors that include pizza, red bean paste, and even pudding, it seems that there's a doughy hot bun for everyone. Now Japanese sweets and snack maker Morinaga, who already has turned their popular pancakes into ice cream and squeeze pouches, is teaming up with traditional confectioney maker Imuraya for a match made in heaven: steamed pancake buns!

Released nationwide (except for Kyushuu and Hokkaido) on December 26th and available until January 25th, the new sweet will present Morinaga's sweet and Canadian maple syrupy pancakes inside the doughy and fluffy buns that Imuraya is known for. Available in packs of two for 300 yen (suggested retail price), the microwavable mini pancake buns let you enjoy your hotcakes in a round and fluffy bun made from milk and eggs, with pancake syrup and butter center.