Tamagoyaki: the Japanese Rolled Omelette from Anime Bento

Tamagoyaki: the Japanese Rolled Omelette from Anime Bento

Tamagoyaki — a layered rolled omelette — appears in the bento box of almost every school anime. Sweet, slightly savoury, with a beautiful cut face, it has become a symbol of a lovingly packed lunch.

History and origin

Tamagoyaki has been cooked in Japan since the Edo period. It is served at sushi restaurants (where chefs fine-tune sweetness and texture), in bento boxes and at breakfast. Regional variants differ in the ratio of sugar to soy sauce.

Key ingredients

For tamagoyaki, beat eggs with sugar, soy sauce, mirin and dashi. Cook in thin layers on a rectangular pan, rolling each layer around the previous one as you go.

How to cook at home

The key is medium heat and patience: each layer must set but remain tender. A bamboo sushi mat helps shape it — wrap the hot roll and leave for 5 minutes.

Try this recipe at home — it's much easier than it looks and will make you feel part of your favourite universe.