Tamagoyaki
The perfect way to prepare eggs to take with you for lunch! Tamagoyaki, or literally translated “grilled eggs,” is made by stacking up several thin layers of slow-cooked egg. Sugar, soy sauce, or sometimes even sake or mirin are often added for flavor. You may know of them as a type of sushi served at your local Japanese restaurant, but in Japan, they are also often made by Japanese wives and put into their husband’s and children's bento boxes for lunch. Tamagoyaki are often made into a rectangular shape, making them easier to pick up with chopsticks. The shape comes in handy when neatly fitting them into bento boxes as well!
Other than bento, tamagoyaki is also commonly served as part of a traditional breakfast in Japan, along with miso soup, fish, pickled vegetables, and rice. With a delicate and fluffy texture, tamagoyaki seems to melt in your mouth as you chew. Being somewhat of a standard way to serve eggs in Japan, tamagoyaki is definitely worth a try.
Chawanmushi
Chawanmushi (literally: steamed tea bowl) is an egg custard steamed in a porcelain cup with a lid. The eggs are beaten and mixed with dashi, sugar and soya sauce. It is customary to add in several items like bits of shrimp, chicken, kamaboko, mushroom and ginko nut. Chawan mushi is steamed at low temperature to avoid air bubbles (the opposite of soufflé). This cooking technique was likely borrowed from Chinese steamed eggs or Korean Gyeran Jjim and improved upon. You will find this dish in many Japanese restaurants. However, few manage to master the proper cooking technique or the richness of dashi necessary to give umami to the custard. Don’t try to eat it with your chopsticks this is one of the few Japanese dishes eaten with a spoon.
Omurice
Here comes another delicious Japanese egg rice recipe to try out! Ketchup drenched fried rice is stuffed within fried eggs which are thin like a crepe. This doesn’t sound really Japanese, but the fact remains that it came into existence during the 1900s. It is quite popular among kids. While the traditional Omurice gets its finishing touch with ketchup, you can use a thick, creamy sauce or a glazing brown sauce for added visual appeal and taste.
Oyakodon
Egg and chicken simmered in a seasoned broth is poured atop hot rice packed in a bowl, and served hot – that is the simplest way of explaining this dish. A one-bowl meal, it is a healthy dish with zero added oil. Plus, you can make it in an effortless way. The flavors of fluffy eggs and dashi blend with the rice, making this dish purely addictive.
Tamago kake gohan
An incredibly simple and traditional Japanese egg cuisine, tamago kake gohan, also known as TKG, is a popular breakfast treat. A very uncomplicated, yet tasty meal, TKG is most commonly made by inserting a raw egg into the center of a bowl of rice, adding some soy sauce, and mixing the three ingredients together until the rice becomes a consistent golden yellow. Other ingredients such as salt or seaweed flakes can also be added if you prefer. There is not much to say about the flavor except that it’s delicious!
Its gooey texture and salty taste is truly a unique experience and is extremely easy to make so it’s perfect for those times that you don’t have the energy to cook or do a lot of dishes! Although it is a simple dish, you can always get creative by adding your other favorite seasonings or even try adding a second egg if you really want to be adventurous.
Sukiyaki
Raw eggs are also key ingredients in seasonal dipping sauces. As winter approaches and you’re looking for a way to warm your body up, look no further than sukiyaki. One of many Japanese hot pot meals, sukiyaki is enjoyed by heating meats (usually beef) and vegetables in a pot, then taking the ingredients out at a time and dipping them in a plate of the raw egg before eating them. Sugar, soy sauce, sake, dashi, and mirin are often added to the boiled water, although the exact preparation method varies from region to region. Similar to yakiniku, the beef is prepared in thin, bite-sized slices so that they may be cooked, dipped, and eaten one-by-one.