Name: Ajitsuke Tamago - Japanese Marinated Eggs
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1 airtight jar slightly larger than the eggs; 4 eggs; 6 cl soy sauce; 6 cl water; 6 cl mirin; 12 g brown sugar; 4 cl sake; 1 garlic clove, crushed and chopped; 2 cm piece of ginger, chopped; 1 spring onion, chopped

Introduction

Ajitsuke tamago (味付け玉子) is a soft-boiled marinated egg, iconic in Japanese cuisine. The texture is unique: the yolk remains creamy and slightly runny, while the white absorbs the flavors of a sweet, umami soy-based marinade.

MIBE illustrations - patience is a virtue egg

MIBE illustrations - patience is a virtue egg

This preparation is typically served with ramen. Its origin dates back to the late 19th century, during the Meiji era (1868–1912), a period of modernization when Japan incorporated new culinary influences, particularly from China, into its traditional cuisine.

Ajitsuke tamago has become a versatile ingredient, used not only in ramen but also in donburi (rice bowls), bento (lunch boxes), and even Japanese sandwiches (tamago sando).

Namiko Hirasawa Chen, founder of Just One Cookbook, emphasizes the importance of cooking soft-boiled eggs perfectly. Chef Charlotte Ng highlights precise cooking to achieve a runny yolk.

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Ingredients

1 airtight jar slightly larger than the volume of the eggs, so they are fully submerged
4 eggs
6 cl (about 4 tablespoons) soy sauce
6 cl (about 4 tablespoons) water
6 cl (about 4 tablespoons) mirin (rice wine, similar to sake but sweeter and less alcoholic)
12 g brown sugar
4 cl sake
1 garlic clove, crushed, peeled, and chopped
2 cm piece of ginger, chopped
1 spring onion, chopped

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The Recipe.

Cook soft-boiled eggs.
Peel them.
In a small saucepan over low heat, mix the marinade ingredients, adding the garlic and ginger, and the spring onion just before removing from heat.
Place the eggs in the jar and cover with the marinade.
Let cool.
Refrigerate covered for 12 to 24 hours.

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Additional Tips

Do not marinate for more than 48 hours; consume within 2–3 days.

Use high-quality ingredients such as authentic soy sauce, mirin, and sake for the best flavor.

The marinade can be enhanced with optional ingredients such as kombu or katsuobushi to add depth to the flavor.

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Tasty Wall Art

Do you love culinary art and want to have these recipes in your kitchen? Visit MIBEARTSHOP.COM to order the poster "The Egg as King" and discover other unique creations.

After noticing among my friends and family that many people cook approximately, when just a little precision and minimal effort can lead to excellent results, and being passionate about cooking, I created cuisinerlesoeufs.fr to share my recipes with you.
"The Egg as King" is a (bad) pun on the "spoiled child," both to honor it and because the egg is fragile and precious, yet always at the center of everything (!).

AFFICHE - l'œuf en roi par MIBE - MIBEARTSHOP.COM

The Japanese Marinated Egg Recipe, Ajitsuke Tamago.

Introduction

Ingredients

The Recipe.

Additional Tips

Tasty Wall Art