is a type of

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

omelette In cuisine, an omelette (also spelled omelet) is a dish made from beaten eggs, fried with butter or oil in a frying pan (without stirring as in scrambled egg). It is quite common for the omelette to be folded around fillings such as chives ...

which is made by rolling together several layers of fried beaten

eggs Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especial ...

. It is often prepared in a rectangular omelette pan called a ''

makiyakinabe are square or rectangular cooking pans used to make Japanese-style rolled omelettes (). The pans are commonly made from metals such as copper and tin, and can also be coated with a non-stick surface. Dimensions and proportions of the pan var ...

'' or ''tamagoyakiki''.

Preparation

There are several types of tamagoyaki. It is made by combining eggs, sugar, and soy sauce. Additionally,

sake Sake, also spelled saké ( ; also referred to as Japanese rice wine), is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and indee ...

and

mirin is a type of rice wine and a common ingredient in Japanese cooking. It is similar to sake but with a lower alcohol content and higher sugar content. The sugar content is a complex carbohydrate that forms naturally during the fermentation pro ...

are used in some recipes. Alternative versions include "''dashimaki tamago''" which adds

dashi is a family of stocks used in Japanese cuisine. ''Dashi'' forms the base for miso soup, clear broth soup, noodle broth soup, and many simmering liquids to accentuate the savory flavor known as umami. ''Dashi'' is also mixed into the flour b ...

to the egg mix, a stock of dried bonito and kelp, or a version including a mix of shrimp puree, grated mountain yam, sake, and egg, turned into a custard-like cake.

Serving options

In Japan, tamagoyaki is commonly served as a

breakfast Breakfast is the first meal of the day usually eaten in the morning. The word in English refers to breaking the fasting period of the previous night.Anderson, Heather Arndt (2013)''Breakfast: A History'' AltaMira Press. Various "typical" or "t ...

dish.

Sushi

Tamagoyaki is served around the world in the form of

nigiri is a Japanese dish of prepared , usually with some sugar and salt, accompanied by a variety of , such as seafood, often raw, and vegetables. Styles of sushi and its presentation vary widely, but the one key ingredient is "sushi rice," also ...

, and also appears in many types of sushi rolls. In the days when most sushi establishments made their own tamagoyaki, known as ''gyoku'' in sushi parlance, connoisseur customers would order the tamago sushi prior to starting their meal to assess the sushi chef's skills. Large ''

futomaki is a Japanese dish of prepared , usually with some sugar and salt, accompanied by a variety of , such as seafood, often raw, and vegetables. Styles of sushi and its presentation vary widely, but the one key ingredient is "sushi rice," also ...

'' rolls often use ''tamagoyaki'' as an ingredient.

Similar dishes

In Japan, there are several similar dishes to tamagoyaki, such as ''usuyaki-tamago'', ''kinshi-tamago'', and ''iri-tamago''. They differ by their thicknesses, and the manner in which they are fried. Usuyaki-tamago is thinner, kinshi-tamago is a kind of usuyaki-tamago that is cut like fine threads, and iri-tamago is similar to scrambled eggs. ''Datemaki'' (伊達巻) is prepared similarly to tamagoyaki, but incorporates

fish paste Fish paste is fish which has been chemically broken down by a fermentation process until it reaches the consistency of a soft creamy purée or paste. Alternatively it refers to cooked fish which has been physically broken down by pounding, grin ...

or ''

hanpen is a white, square, triangle or round surimi product (fish or meat paste) with a soft, mild taste. It is believed to have been invented during the Edo period in Japan by a chef, of Suruga, and the dish is named after him.Gyeran-mari ''Gyeran-mari'' (), ''Dalgyal-mari'' () or rolled omelette in Korean cuisine is a savory ''banchan'' (side dish) made with beaten eggs mixed with several finely diced ingredients. * Common ingredients include vegetables (onion, carrot, Korean zu ...

Okonomiyaki is a Japanese savory pancake dish consisting of wheat flour batter and other ingredients (mixed, or as toppings) cooked on a '' teppan'' (flat griddle). Common additions include cabbage, meat, and seafood, and toppings include ''okonomiyaki' ...

References

{{Omelettes Japanese cuisine Japanese cuisine terms Japanese egg dishes Omelettes