【Reading】たまご

【English Name】Egg Omelet (Tamago)

Tamago is a sweet, thick-rolled egg dish served at sushi restaurants, long beloved as a topping for nigiri sushi. At sushi shops it is also called "gyoku," a name derived from the Chinese reading of the character for "jewel" (tama). There is also the alternate name "kera-tama," said to come from the material of the iron pan used in cooking it.

Edo-style sushi tamagoyaki falls broadly into two lineages. One is a traditional method handed down from the Edo period, in which the ground flesh of white fish or shiba shrimp is combined with grated yam (tororo) and sugar, then cooked slowly over low heat to a sponge-like finish. The other, which became widespread from around the late 1950s, is a dashimaki-style version seasoned sweetly with sugar and dashi.

In the past, it was said in the sushi world that "if you eat the tamagoyaki, you can tell the chef's skill," making it an important topping for measuring craftsmanship. Labor-intensive house-made tamagoyaki served as a shop's signature, with each shop's individuality showing in the blend and the degree of cooking. In recent years, however, more shops use ready-made products.

There are various theories as to why sushi shops serve tamago: a palate-cleansing role through its sweetness, an aesthetic element as a touch of color, and demand as an item for children, among others. There is also a way of enjoying it like a dessert at the end of a course.