I know. I’ve been wondering about it myself. I love Egg Salad as much as the next person. But I can’t help thinking there’s something unnatural about the current craze for Japanese Egg Salad. Is this stuff really that special? Or am totally out of touch?
The REAL Egg Salad Sando of The Land of the Rising Sun!
It all started with the social media explosion over that may – genuinely – be the most popular Fast Food (convenience store) sandwich in Japan. It’s the one Japanese 7-Elevens sell. (See photo, top of page.) And it apparently sells 4 or 5 to 1 over all other wrapped sandos there…
What’s so special?
The 7-Eleven Egg Salad Sando is actually a mass production-adapated version of the ancient and venerable classic Japanese Tamago Sando. The Tamago Sando is pretty finicky to make properly, and just doesn’t lend itself to mass marketing. But the 7-Eleven version apparently captures the essential flavour and texture Japanese fans want – cherish! – in their egg salad.
Devotées say it’s the Japanese Kewpie Mayo, something we can get here in North America – if we search the International aisle meticulously enough. And you can even make it yourself, if you really, really need to recreate authentic Japanese Egg Salad.
The Kewpie Factor
There is something deliciously different about Kewpie. For a start, it uses only the egg yolks. And it must be blended with Apple Cider Vinegar and a dash of sugar. Made properly, it comes out lighter, and creamier than regular ‘American’ mayo. But the flavour is different enough that I don’t think I’ll be using it in applications where I currently rely on standard Hellman’s.
The real deal…
… Is something quite different-looking than the 7-Eleven Egg Salad Sando. As we said, earlier, the Tamago Sando is a little fussy to make. But it does use the same ingredients as the mass-produced version. And the flavour is touted as similar, though bolder and more eggy. A key difference is, the Tamago Sando’s filling is chunkier and sports a ‘warmer’, deeper yellow colour – thanks to authentic Kewpie.
Perhaps the biggest difference lies in an ‘ingredient’ not found at all in the 7-Eleven version: whole ‘jammy-yolk’ boiled eggs. (See photo, above.)
My take
What a lovely, fat, scrumptious sandwich the whole boiled eggs make! Anyway…
You look at the two versions of the Sando and immediately think, “Wow! The Classic is far superior to the convenience store model!” Nevertheless, it appears that the ‘convenience’ angle outweighs the 7-Eleven version’s bland appearance, for fast-paced Japanese grab-and-go customers. I wonder if it will appeal to North American tastes?
My questions to you:
Do you even like Egg Salad?
If so, which of the two versions of the Tamago Sando appeals most to you?
Do you think the 7-Eleven Tamago will fly here in the West?
Do you believe – as I do – that the social media hype around the 7-Eleven version will sharply elevate awareness of both the Sando and Kewpie Mayo?
Muse on that!
~ Maggie J.