Egg Dish Day (Tamago Ryōri no Hi)

What Is Egg Dish Day?

Every year on May 22, Japan celebrates "Egg Dish Day" (たまご料理の日), established by the All Japan Umaimon Promotion Council (全日本うまいもん推進協議会), a general incorporated association. The date comes from Japanese wordplay: the month is read as "tama (0) go (5)" for "tamago" (egg), and the 22nd as "niwatori (2), niwatori (2)" (chicken, chicken). The day aims to use egg dishes — often called the basics of cooking — as an opportunity to raise awareness of food hygiene and safety, and to promote the food culture of egg cooking.

The Historical Role of Eggs in Food Culture

Eggs have long been one of the most familiar and valuable sources of protein.

• The Edo-era "Tamago Hyakuchin": The "Tamago Hyakuchin" (One Hundred Egg Delicacies) section of the cookbook "Manpō Ryōri Himitsubako," published in 1785, introduces more than 100 egg dishes — showing that eggs were already used in many ways by the mid-Edo period.
• The history of the omelet: Dishes of cooked beaten eggs have existed in many places since ancient times, and there are several theories about the origin of the word "omelette."

Egg Nutrition

Eggs contain protein and many other nutrients, and are sometimes called a "complete nutritional food."

• An amino acid score of 100: The amino acid score shows how well a food's balance of essential amino acids meets human needs, and eggs receive a perfect 100.
• Rethinking cholesterol: Eggs were once limited to "one a day" because of cholesterol, but Japan's Dietary Reference Intakes no longer set a cholesterol intake target for healthy people. People with dyslipidemia, however, are advised to watch their intake.

Fun Facts About Egg Dishes

• Raw eggs in Japan: Japanese people eat raw eggs, as in tamago kake gohan (raw egg over rice). Eggs are washed and sorted under hygiene controls, and the best-before date printed on the pack indicates how long they can be eaten raw.
• Shell color and nutrition: Differences in eggshell color (white or brown) come mainly from the breed of chicken, with little difference in nutritional value. Yolk color is influenced by the hen's feed.
• The green ring on hard-boiled eggs: When boiled too long, the surface of the yolk can turn greenish. This comes from iron sulfide, formed when sulfur from the white reacts with iron in the yolk — harmless to eat.
• Meringue: Whipping egg whites makes the proteins trap air and form foam; adding sugar helps stabilize it.
• Onsen tamago: Because yolks and whites set at different temperatures, slowly heating eggs in water at around 65–70°C produces onsen tamago, with a set yolk and silky white.

Ideas for Enjoying Egg Dish Day

• Try an egg dish you rarely make, such as an omelet or dashimaki tamago (rolled omelet)
• Review food hygiene: wash your hands before and after handling eggs, and check best-before dates and storage
• Experiment with onsen tamago or soft-boiled eggs and see how temperature and time change the result
• Look up regional egg dishes from Japan and around the world

The Basics of Cooking, Packed Into an Everyday Egg

May 22 is a day to appreciate eggs and the dishes made from them. Egg dishes change completely with a slight adjustment of heat, making them both simple and surprisingly deep. Today, why not enjoy your favorite egg dish while paying a little extra attention to food hygiene?