Tamagoyaki

Tamagoyaki is a Japanese omelette of seasoned beaten egg, cooked in thin layers and rolled into a rectangular block. It is cut into slices and served cold or warm as part of a bento, a breakfast set or a sushi course.

What it really is

Tamagoyaki is made from whole eggs beaten with dashi stock, soy sauce, sugar and a little mirin. The mixture is poured into a square or rectangular pan greased with oil, set in a thin layer, then rolled up toward one side. More egg is poured into the pan and the cooked roll is pushed back to the far side, so the new layer wraps around the old one. This is repeated until the block is built up, then it is pressed into shape and cut.

Tamagoyaki is sweeter and more layered than a plain French-style omelette, which is usually folded once and eaten soft. It is also distinct from dashimaki tamago, a closely related dish in which the dashi is the main liquid and the texture is softer and moister. The classic tamagoyaki is cooked to a firm, evenly golden block with visible layers.

How it's served

• Cut into slices about 1 to 2 cm thick and served cold or at room temperature in a bento box.
• Served warm or cold as one of the dishes in a traditional Japanese breakfast set with rice, miso soup and pickles.
• Served as a topping or side for sushi, often as nigiri with a strip of nori band.
• Eaten with chopsticks, sometimes with a little grated daikon or soy sauce.

How to write it on the menu

• Write as Tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelette) with dashi, soy sauce and sugar named in the description.
• Allergens: contains EGGS, and the soy sauce adds SOY and WHEAT; list MILK only if a dairy addition is used.
• State if served cold in a bento or warm as part of a set.
• Note any variant such as added grated daikon, spinach or cheese, which change the allergens and dietary status.