Egg drop soup is enjoyed around the world, but the Japanese version called "Kakitamajiru" stands out for its distinctive flavor, achieved by using dashi broth. Experience the delicate and flavorful soup created by the perfect combination of dashi and eggs.
Jump to:
What is Kakitamajiru?
Kakitamajiru is a soup dish made by thickening seasoned dashi broth with starch and adding beaten eggs. "Kaki" means to stir, "tama" is a short for 'tamago' meaning eggs, and "jiru" refers to soup.
While many people might associate Japanese soups with miso soup, remembering how to make this dish expands your repertoire of Japanese soup dishes. The combination of dashi and eggs pairs incredibly well, resulting in a delicious flavor.
Enhancing Umami Flavors of Dashi
The dashi broth typically used in making kakitamajiru is bonito dashi (awase dashi, which combines kombu dashi and bonito dashi, is also acceptable).
Bonito dashi contains the umami component called inosinic acid, while eggs contain another umami component known as glutamic acid. These umami components are delicious on their own, but combining two (or more) different umami components is known to enhance their respective flavors and make them more delicious through a synergistic effect.
The combination of eggs and bonito dashi is a classic pairing found in various Japanese dishes such as Chawanmushi (savory egg custard) and Dashimaki Tamago (rolled omelette with dashi), and is highly recommended as it is incredibly delicious.
To learn more about how to make bonito dashi, please refer to this linked page.
Ingredient Options
The most common and traditional way to enjoy kakitamajiru is by adding only mitsuba (Japanese parsley) or green onions (scallions) as ingredients and savoring the flavors of the soup.
However, you can also add various ingredients such as chicken, carrots, onions, spinach, tofu, kamaboko (fish cake), shiitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, wakame seaweed, and others to make it more filling. Kakitamajiru with a variety of ingredients is a nutritious and modern dish, often found in Japanese school lunches.
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 4 mitsuba (Japanese parsley)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp light soy sauce (regular soy sauce can be substituted)
- ½ Tbsp potato starch or corn starch
- ½ Tbsp water (for the stach)
Bonito Dashi:
- 2 cups (480ml) water
- ½ cup (0.17oz./5g) bonito flakes (katsuobushi)
Step-by-step instructions
🕒 Total 10 mins
If you already have bonito dashi, start from step 3. In this case, use 1 ⅔ cups (400ml) of your dashi for 2 servings.
Step 1
Put water in a pot and bring it to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low, add the bonito flakes, and let it simmer for 2 minutes.
Step 2
Turn off the heat and strain the mixture through a sieve lined with paper towels or cloth (such as cheesecloth). Bonito dashi is ready.
Step 3
Crack the egg into a small bowl and beat it. Trim the base of the mitsuba, separate the leaves, and cut the stems into 0.8 inch (2cm) pieces.
Step 4
Add the bonito dashi to a pot and bring it to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and add salt and light soy sauce.
Step 5
Mix the starch and water together in a small bowl. Gradually add the dissolved starch to the pot, stirring to blend. Keep simmering for about 10 seconds to eliminate the powdery taste from the starch.
Step 6
Gradually pour the beaten egg into the pot, ensuring even distribution. Once you are certain the egg mixture is cooked, gently stir it.
Step 7
Turn off the heat and then add the mitsuba leaves.
To Store
You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Tips on how to make
- Add the starch dissolved in water to the dashi broth to thicken it. The thickened dashi will prevent the beaten egg from sinking to the bottom of the bowl, allowing it to float until it is time to eat.
- The beaten egg should be poured into the pan gradually and evenly. This will prevent the egg mixture from clumping together and create a fluffy texture. In Japan, it is common to pour the beaten egg gradually using a chopstick to let it trickle down.
- After pouring the beaten egg into the pot, make sure it has set before stirring it together. Stirring before the egg mixture is cooked will cause the soup to become cloudy.
Recipe Card
Kakitamajiru (Japanese Egg Drop Soup)
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 4 mitsuba (Japanese parsley)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp light soy sauce (regular soy sauce can be substituted)
- ½ Tbsp potato starch or corn starch
- ½ Tbsp water (for the stach)
Bonito Dashi:
- 2 cups (480ml) water
- ½ cup (0.17oz./5g) bonito flakes (katsuobushi)
Instructions
- Put water in a pot and bring it to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low, add the bonito flakes, and let it simmer for 2 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and strain the mixture through a sieve lined with paper towels or cloth (such as cheesecloth). Bonito dashi is ready.
- Crack the egg into a small bowl and beat it. Trim the base of the mitsuba, separate the leaves, and cut the stems into 0.8 inch (2cm) pieces.
- Add the bonito dashi to a pot and bring it to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and add salt and light soy sauce.
- Mix the starch and water together in a small bowl. Gradually add the dissolved starch to the pot, stirring to blend. Keep simmering for about 10 seconds to eliminate the powdery taste from the starch.
- Gradually pour the beaten egg into the pot, ensuring even distribution. Once you are certain the egg mixture is cooked, gently stir it.
- Turn off the heat and then add the mitsuba leaves.
Notes
- If you already have bonito dashi, start from step 3. In this case, use 1 ⅔ cups (400ml) of your dashi for 2 servings.
- You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Leave a Reply