This recipe shows you how to make a copycat version of the Japanese 7-Eleven Egg Sandwich (Tamago Sando). The filling is simply egg with mayonnaise and seasonings, but the texture of the Japanese bread and the creamy filling is unforgettable, let alone the umami induced flavour.
Eggs can be boiled or steamed. I included the steaming method in the instructions, which is reflected in the cooking time.
Don't forget to see the section 'MEAL IDEAS' below the recipe card! It gives you a list of dishes that I have already posted and this recipe that can make up a complete meal. I hope it is of help to you.
- 6 slices Japanese shokupan (milk bread, 1.5cm / ⅝" thick, note 1)
- Softened butter
- 4 eggs (uncooked, straight from the fridge)
- 3 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise (note 2) (45g / 1.6oz)
- 2 pinches salt
- ½ - 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
- 1/8 tsp Aji-no-moto umami seasoning (optional, note 3)
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Add about 2 cups of water in the steamer and bring it to a boil.
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Place 4 eggs direct from the fridge into the steamer. Make sure the egg does not touch the side of the steamer. Where the egg shell touches the side of the steamer, the egg white will have a burnt patch. You can place scrunched baking paper in to secure the position of the eggs if needed.
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Cover with a lid and steam for 12-13 minutes.
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Transfer the eggs to a bowl filled with ice water and cool them down quickly.
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Make a shallow incision around the egg white and gently open it so that you can remove the egg yolk without breaking it. Separate the yolk from the white.
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Push the egg yolk through a fine sieve and collect the powder-like yolk in a bowl.
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Finely chop the egg white into about 5mm / 3⁄16" cubes (or similar-sized pieces).
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Add the remaining Egg Filling ingredients to the bowl with yolk and mix well with a spatula until the mixture becomes paste-like.
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Add the diced egg white to the bowl and mix well.
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Stack two slices of shokupan together and trim off the crusts. Repeat with the remaining slices.
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Thinly spread butter on the inside surface of each slice.
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Working with one pair at a time, place the slices on a cutting board, buttered side up, and spread 1/3 of the egg filling onto one slice.
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Spread the filling all the way to the edges, keeping the filling in the middle slightly thicker, then place the other slice on top, butter side down.
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Gently but firmly press the sandwich with your palm.
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Repeat with the remaining 2 pairs.
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Working with one sandwich at a time, cut the sandwich diagonally using a sharp knife (not a serrated knife). Move the blade of the knife sideways back and forth initially to cut the bread until the blade reaches to the filling, then push the blade down to cut through the rest (note 5).
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Repeat for the other pairs.
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Transfer the triangular egg sandwiches to a serving plate, with the cut side facing up.
1. Shokupan is Japanese milk bread. If a Japanese bakery is nearby, you can buy a fresh loaf. Otherwise, frozen sliced shokupan is often available at Japanese/Asian grocery stores.
I bought a bag of PASCO Choujuku Shokupan (4 slices) and halved each slice to make 1.5cm-thick slices (see the photo in the post). If you can find an 8-slice loaf (see the photo in the post), you won’t need to halve the slices.
You can use standard sandwich bread, but I strongly recommend that you use shokupan because the soft texture and the slightly sweet flavour of the bread is a significant component of the Japanese 7-Eleven Egg Sandwich.
2. Kewpie mayonnaise has a quite different flavour from Western-style mayonnaise. It is less acidic and contains umami. I strongly recommend using Kewpie mayonnaise today so that your egg sandwich tastes as close as possible to the Japanese 7-Eleven Egg Sandwich. If you use Western-style mayonnaise, it will completely change the flavour of the egg sandwich.
3. Aji-no-moto umami seasoning is MSG made by Ajinomoto Corporation. In 1960s, MSG had a negative reputation due to health concerns that were not supported by scientific evidence. It is now widely recognised as safe to consume. I list it as optional because you may not have it in your pantry. But if you use it, I can guarantee that it will noticeably enhance the flavour of the egg filling.
4. In this recipe, eggs are steamed instead of boiled as I wanted to make the recipe as close to the original as possible. This is because Japanese 7-Eleven Egg Sandwich uses steamed eggs. I have never steamed eggs like this before, but I now prefer them for the reasons I explained in the post. If you prefer, you can use hard boiled eggs instead.
5. If you continue sliding the knife sideways after it reaches the filling, the cut side will become messy because the egg filling will be dragged through the bread.