The versatility of eggs is no stranger to us. Be it a breakfast omelette or a lunch/dinner, egg curry or egg masala, this food item can fit in anywhere and everywhere. The eggs are made with different ingredients and masalas in the Indian setting, giving them a flavourful touch. Likewise, in other Asian cultures, eggs are made different.
Take the Japanese Tamagoyaki for instance. For the unversed, the word refers to egg cooked over dry heat. This is a Japanese-style rolled omelette that is commonly-eaten for breakfast. Made sans spices and without many ingredients, it is a simple yet hearty preparation that is a morning favourite many of their households. Unlike usual preparations, this omelette is folded and rolled inside until it is cooked.
It is said that Tamagoyaki originated around the 1950s when Japan’s then government was pushing for nutrition of the infants and young population of the country. They were encouraging the parents to increase the protein intake of their kids and subsequently, farmers also increased their poultry farming to meet the rising demands.
While an omelette is usually made with lots of fillings, including vegetables as well as meat, in some case, this Japanese-style omelette is a simple, hassle-free preparation that doesn’t require too many ingredients apart from soy sauce, sugar and mirin as toppings. The latter is a type of rice wine that is sweet in taste and milder than sake, with a low alcohol content.
Interestingly, this omelette is not just eaten for breakfast but used as a sushi topping too. Sliced and placed on top of your sushi and served inside the bento boxes. Moreover, the same omelette can also act as a dessert after a meal, sliced and served as it is because of its mildly sweet flavour.