Do you have a lot of leftover eggs from Easter that you don’t know what to do with? How about putting the eggs to good use and making some classic egg based Japanese dishes?

オムライス is a Japanese style omelet. The omelet is made of a thin egg layer and underneath it is tasty fried rice with chicken. The fried rice may be flavored with だし or salt and pepper. Ketchup or demi glace sauce are the preferred condiments with オムライス. Here’s a tip, don’t place the rice over the egg and try to flip it over. I did that and it was a disaster! Rather, place the rice on the plate in a vertical direction and put the egg layer over the rice.

たまごかけごはん (卵かけご飯) is an egg and rice dish. This dish is so simple to make. First, mix a raw egg with soy sauce. Then pour the mixture into the rice. Voila! You can also add seasame seeds and fish flakes for an extra umph. This dish is a great, recession proof meal. I noticed that some of my friends didn’t like the raw egg, but the rawness is what makes it easy to mix with the rice.

たまごやき is a rectangular egg roll. The shape of the rolls are created by these rectangular pans called まきやきなべ. First an egg is cracked over the rectangular pan and some chopped green onions with salt are sprinkled over the egg. Then the egg is rolled over until a compact, rectangular form is made. To close the ends, more eggs are poured into the pan.

ちゃわんむし (茶碗蒸し) is a savory egg custard dish. The eggs are steamed, along with ginko seeds, baby shrimp, mushrooms, green onions and either salt or だし. ちゃわん is a bowl used for tea ceremonies, and むし means “steaming”. Like the name, this dish is served in a cup-like bowl as an appetizer. Also, this “custard” can be a bit watery, kind of like a soupy-custard. It’s hard to explain, but it’s a unique experience that everyone should try.