Sick Of Egg Salad? Make It Japanese Style, It's Easier Than You Think

American egg salad tends to have a lot more than just eggs in it. Added elements like diced onions, peppers, mustard, ham, and more are popular in U.S. versions of this versatile dish. But, if you're looking for a fresh take on the familiar classic, look no further than a tamago sando recipe, which literally translates to egg sandwich in Japanese. This rich, buttery egg salad sandwich is often made from a mixture of both hard- and soft-boiled eggs, and it typically skips the non-egg mix-ins. This must-try Japanese dish is a grab-and-go staple at konbinis (aka convenience stores like 7-Eleven). The beauty of the Japanese tamago sando lies in its simplicity — it's primarily just eggs and mayo — and that simplicity is also crucial to achieving its lighter-than-air texture.

On the palate, the umami-bomb Japanese Kewpie mayo (which is made from egg yolks for a richer, tangier taste) and a pinch of sugar give tamago sando a dynamic and satisfying flavor profile. Meanwhile, the bookending slices of milky white shokupan bread yield a sando with an overall soft, pillowy, creamy texture. Foodies might recognize shokupan bread from heartier chicken and pork katsu sandwiches as well as sweet fruit and whipped cream sandos. Shokupan bread is also sometimes made from sweet rice flour rather than wheat flour, which creates a stickier starch molecules for a softer crumb and long-lasting plushness. For the plushest bite, the crusts get cut off, too.

Perhaps tamago sando's most defining feature is the halved soft-boiled egg that's often placed at its center. Surrounded by the creamy, mashed egg salad, a whole intact egg is halved and positioned in the middle of the bread, creating both a signature look when sliced into and a diversified, gelatinous mouthfeel.

To make it, hard-boiled eggs get mashed with salt, pepper, Kewpie mayo, and a pinch of sugar to taste. At the same time, both slices of bread get slathered in a layer of unsalted butter, which acts as a physical waterproofing barrier protecting the bread from becoming soggy against that wet egg salad. From there, a soft-boiled egg is halved and placed yolk side down in the middle of one of the bread slices. That bulbous bump gets surrounded by the creamy mashed salad. Simply place the bread slices together to assemble — and don't forget to cut off the crusts at the end.

Sweet, milky shokupan bread loaves can be found at some specialty pan-Asian bakeries. In a pinch, any soft white sandwich bread will get the job done. Pro tip: If you're using regular white bread, add an extra generous pinch of sugar into your egg salad to compensate for the touch of sweetness that would have been contributed by the milk bread. To complete the meal, pair your tamago sando with this crunchy purple cabbage salad for a kick of vibrant acidity and welcome toothiness. Or, for a comforting lunch on a chilly day, pair your Japanese egg salad sammy with a steaming bowl of classic potato leek soup.