By Layla Khoury-Hanold for Food Network Kitchen
Layla Khoury-Hanold is a contributing writer for Food Network.
Ramen eggs, those hard-boiled eggs that accompany a bowl of ramen, super tasty eggs, are one of the ingredients that make restaurant ramen so delicious. But with a little planning and patience, you can easily make egg ramen at home. To help us learn how to make these Japanese hard-boiled marinated eggs, we asked Japanese recipe developer, food stylist, food photographer and avid food lover Pascale Yamashita.
Ramen eggs are Japanese boiled eggs marinated in a sweet soy sauce mixture and used as a ramen topping. In Japan, ramen eggs are called ajitsuke tamago or ajitama. “Aji means taste and tama means ball (or egg), so the literal translation is taste ball,” Yamashita said.
In Japan, the ingredients for the marinade vary by ramen shop, but the most common is the soy sauce base, Yamashita said. The first ramen shop to serve ajitama was Kan Chin Tei (now closed) in Ogiku, Tokyo, where the chef served the ramen with Taiwanese Braised Egg, a soy-sauce-cured egg with herbs and spices. From there, the trend of using salted boiled eggs as an ingredient in ramen spread widely in Japan.
To make ramen eggs, you’ll need eggs, soy sauce (or soy sauce), mirin, sake (or cooking white wine), sugar, and vinegar.
1. Boiled eggs
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then carefully place the eggs in a single layer into the pot and cook for 7 minutes.
2. Prepare the ice bath
While the eggs are boiling, fill a large bowl with ice and cold water. Immediately after the eggs boil, transfer them to the prepared ice bath to stop the cooking process and cool the eggs.
3. Peel the eggs
Once the eggs are cool enough to handle, peel the eggs.
4. Make the marinade
In a resealable plastic bag, combine soy sauce (or soy sauce), mirin, sake (or cooking white wine), sugar, and vinegar.
5. Pickled eggs
Put the eggs in the bag, making sure the eggs are submerged in the liquid mixture. Seal the bag, remove excess air, and let the eggs marinate in the liquid for at least 24 hours, or up to 2 days. During the marinating process, change the position of the eggs regularly to ensure they are evenly marinated.
6. Serve the eggs
Cut eggs in half lengthwise and enjoy with ramen noodles or as a snack.