chawanmushi

Chawanmushi is a Japanese steamed egg custard served in a small cup or bowl. Beaten eggs are mixed with dashi and seasonings such as soy sauce, mirin and salt. The mixture is strained and poured over pieces of filling before the cups are covered and heated gently. This produces a soft custard rather than a firm omelet. Chicken, fish cake and mushrooms are common fillings, with mitsuba leaves or spring onion on top; ginkgo nuts can also be included.^[1]

Chawanmushi is eaten with a spoon and commonly served warm as an appetizer. It appears in Japanese restaurants as well as home cooking. The fillings change with the season and the cook: shrimp, other fish, vegetables and different mushrooms can be used. Preparations with vegetable stock and no meat or fish are another variation. The texture depends on gentle heating, since excessive heat makes the custard porous instead of smooth.^[1]