Tamago kake gohan (egg over rice) is a simple dish that consists of placing an egg on warm rice and just adding soy sauce.
From those born in the 1970s like Second Son to small children born after 2020, there are almost no Japanese people who have never eaten tamago kake gohan (except for those with allergies, of course).
It is such a popular and well-known way to enjoy rice in Japan.
When Do People Eat It?
The timing for eating tamago kake gohan varies greatly:
- When you want a quick breakfast.
- When you feel that there aren’t enough side dishes to go with the rice.
- When you want to have a second helping of rice after finishing your side dishes.
Many people enjoy tamago kake gohan in various situations.
The image shows the simplest way to enjoy it: serve freshly cooked rice in a bowl, drop a raw egg on top, and add soy sauce to your preference. Once everything is mixed evenly, it’s ready to eat.
The impression can vary significantly depending on the balance of the amount of egg and rice, as well as the quantity of soy sauce used.
Additionally, there are various ways to enjoy it, such as adding chopped green onions as a garnish or drizzling mayonnaise over it. There are also many ways to enjoy it with natto (fermented soybeans), which might be why it never gets boring.
By the way, while I’ve heard that food poisoning from salmonella is a concern in countries outside of Japan, I’ve never heard of anyone getting food poisoning from eating Tamago Kake Gohan (rice with raw egg) in Japan.
I myself have probably eaten tamago kake gohan more than 3,000 times since childhood, and so far, I have never experienced food poisoning from eggs.
