Tamago sushi is a common menu item at sushi restaurants. But many people think it’s just for kids or vegetarians.
Yet, the quality of a chef’s sweet egg sushi is often a point of pride. Like uni, tamago can give you a good idea of how serious a restaurant is about its sushi.
This post provides an overview of tamago, the most common types of tamago sushi, a couple of how-to videos, and dietary info.
What is Tamago?
Tamago simply means egg. In Japanese restaurants, tamago often refers to a cooked omelet from chicken eggs. Tamagoyaki is a more specific term for this.
Tamago (卵, たまご) is mixed with some combination of sugar, mirin, salt, and rice vinegar. Dashi is included in some recipes, as well. And after it’s mixed thoroughly, it’s cooked.
This sushi tamago post is part of an informative sushi and sashimi guide. Check it out if you want to take your sushi game pro.
What is Tamago Sushi?
Tamago is a popular item at sushi restaurants. It consists of a piece of egg omelet with sushi rice. Several sushi dishes use tamago. But nigiri is probably the most famous type.
Sushi tamago is often sweeter than tamago for other dishes. For this reason, many Westerners refer to it as sweet egg sushi.
Tamago Nigiri
Tamago nigiri is the purest type of sweet egg sushi. It’s made with a block of egg omelet over a small ball of sushi rice. The tamago is often bound to the rice by a strip of nori seaweed.
Tamago Sushi Roll
Tamago is a common ingredient inside of futomaki. This larger sushi roll has seaweed on the outside and several ingredients inside.
Futomaki can be difficult to make at home. But a simple tamago sushi roll made with only the sweet egg omelet is much easier. Just cut the tamago into strips.
Chirashi
There are many variations of chirashi. And pieces of tamago are often scattered over the top.
How to Make Tamago Sushi
There are several steps to making tamago sushi. The tamago needs to be prepared beforehand. And proper sushi rice must be prepped, as well.
Japanese Cooking 101 made the best sweet egg sushi video on the internet. They detail the entire process. Check it out below.
Tamago Sushi Recipe
There are many tamago sushi recipes. Every chef has his/her own recipe.
I’m a big fan of chef Hiroyuki Terada’s how-to sushi videos. Check out his sweet egg sushi recipe below.
Tamago Nutrition and Dietary Info
Sweet egg sushi is not the healthiest item on the menu. But you could also do a lot worse!
One piece of tamago sushi has about 130 calories, 140mg of cholesterol (from egg), 5g of fat, and 170mg of sodium.*
*according to Nutritionix
Is Tamago Sushi Healthy?
Tamago sushi is somewhat healthy. It contains lots of protein, plus some iron, calcium, and vitamin A.
But the major drawback is sugar and salt. The sushi rice and the tamago have plenty of both.
Is Tamago Vegetarian?
Tamago is often vegetarian. Egg, sugar, salt, mirin, and rice vinegar are common ingredients. However, some recipes for sweet egg sushi use dashi. Tamago sushi made with dashi is rarely vegetarian because it contains fish.
Every restaurant has a slightly different recipe for tamago. So check with the chef to make sure.
Is Sweet Egg Sushi Vegan?
No, tamago sushi is not vegan. It contains chicken eggs.
How to Properly Eat Tamago Sushi
Tamago sushi can usually be eaten with your hands. There’s no need to use chopsticks for nigiri or futomaki.
You will need chopsticks to eat chirashi, however.
Should I Use Soy Sauce?
Sweet egg sushi is heavily seasoned already. You can use soy sauce, but I recommend only using a small amount.
Nikiri sauce is often brushed on tamago at high-end sushi restaurants. In this case, do not use soy sauce.
Tamago Sashimi
Sashimi tamago can be made upon request. It’s made just like sweet egg sushi, but without the rice or seaweed.
31 Days of Sushi
If you find this post useful or enjoyable, I suggest you check out some of the other content in my 31 Days of Sushi campaign.
Every day in August I’ll share a new piece of content. Topics are centered around nigiri and maki sushi. I include sashimi info, as well.
It’s like an omakase of sushi information!
What Do You Think About Tamago?
Does tamago get you excited, or make you go meh?
Also, do you make tamago at home?
Please share your thoughts by commenting below!