Boiled eggs are delicious when eaten with salt, but you can experience a distinctive flavor with Nitamago. Japanese seasonings give the egg whites a rich taste that complements the yolks well. This dish is also known as 'ajitama' or 'ramen eggs.'
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What is Nitamago?
Nitamago is a dish made by boiling eggs and soaking them in Japanese seasonings, such as mirin and soy sauce. "Ni" is short for 'Niru,' which means to boil, and "tamago" refers to eggs. By soaking eggs in a seasoned solution, they absorb flavors, resulting in a subtly sweet and flavorful taste with richness.
In Japan, it is common to cook eggs until they reach a soft-boiled consistency when preparing this dish. With soft-boiled eggs, you can enjoy a moist and creamy texture. Of course, you can adjust the boiling time according to your preference.
This dish can be enjoyed on its own, as an accompaniment to rice, or as a topping for ramen. It is also called 'ajitsuke tamago' or 'ajitama,' but they all refer to marinated eggs. There is no difference among them, including nitamago.
Guide to adjusting egg consistency
You can adjust the firmness of eggs according to your preference by considering the amount of water, boiling time, and heat level.
The following shows how the consistency of the eggs changes at different times when they are taken directly from the refrigerator and boiled over medium heat in plenty of water. Use this as a guide to achieve your desired texture.
5 mins: The egg white begins to set.
6 mins: The outer part of the yolk slightly solidifies but still flows when cut.
7 mins: The egg becomes soft-boiled. The yolk is slightly firm and flows out less, while the white is set but still tender.
8 mins: The egg remains soft-boiled. The center of the yolk is runny, but it hardly flows out when cut.
9 mins: The yolk is less runny but still moist.
10 mins: The outer part of the yolk is hard-boiled, but the center is still moist.
11 mins: The yolk is quite set.
12 mins: The egg is mostly hard-boiled. The yolk is almost fully cooked.
Concerned about food poisoning?
Since nitamago is made by boiling eggs, there is generally no need to worry about food poisoning. This is because Salmonella bacteria, the main cause of food poisoning from eggs, are killed by heating eggs to 167℉ (75℃) or above for at least one minute.
However, if you are still concerned about the hygiene of eggs available in your area, it is recommended to hard-boil them. Additionally, if you plan to include this dish in your bento (lunch box), it would be safer to hard-boil them for hygienic reasons.
📋Step-by-step recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
🕒 Total: 2 hrs 20 minsThis recipe calls for boiling eggs for 7 minutes to achieve a soft-boiled consistency, but you can adjust the boiling time according to your preference.
Step 1
Fill a large pot with plenty of water and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and carefully lower the eggs, which should be taken directly from the refrigerator, one at a time using a slotted spoon or ladle. Let them cook for 7 minutes or for your preferred duration.
Step 2
After cooking, promptly cool the eggs in ice water or under running water to minimize residual heat. Then, peel off the shells.
Step 3
Mix seasonings (sake, mirin, sugar, and soy sauce) in a small pot and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat and let the mixture cool down. It is more efficient to start preparing while the eggs are cooking.
Step 4
Place the boiled eggs and the seasoning mixture in a ziplock bag and seal it, removing as much air as possible. Let them sit in the refrigerator for 2 hours. (The longer you let them soak, the stronger the flavor will be.)
To store
You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If it is hard-boiled, it can be kept for up to 6 days.
Tips on how to make
- It is recommended to add the eggs after the water comes to a boil. When you place the eggs in room temperature water and then bring it to a boil, it becomes difficult to determine the cooking time to achieve a soft-boiled consistency. However, this doesn't matter if you are making hard-boiled eggs.
- If you let the eggs come to room temperature before boiling them, you should reduce the boiling time by 30 seconds to a minute (this can vary depending on the room temperature). In this case, you will need to wait until the eggs reach room temperature, but the likelihood of the eggs cracking during boiling will be reduced.
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think. Please consider leaving a review and star rating in the comments below. If you enjoyed it, I’d really appreciate it if you shared it with your friends.
Recipe card
Nitamago (Japanese Seasoned Boiled Eggs)
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
Seasonings:
- 2 Tbsp sake
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- ½ Tbsp sugar
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with plenty of water and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and carefully lower the eggs, which should be taken directly from the refrigerator, one at a time using a slotted spoon or ladle. Let them cook for 7 minutes or for your preferred duration.
- After cooking, promptly cool the eggs in ice water or under running water to minimize residual heat. Then, peel off the shells.
- Mix seasonings (sake, mirin, sugar, and soy sauce) in a small pot and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat and let the mixture cool down. It is more efficient to start preparing while the eggs are cooking.
- Place the boiled eggs and the seasoning mixture in a ziplock bag and seal it, removing as much air as possible. Let them sit in the refrigerator for 2 hours. (The longer you let them soak, the stronger the flavor will be.)
Notes
- This recipe calls for boiling eggs for 7 minutes to achieve a soft-boiled consistency, but you can adjust the boiling time according to your preference.
- You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If it is hard-boiled, it can be kept for up to 6 days.
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