I have never been more jealous of an egg than when I’m scooping onsen eggs (onsen tamago, respectfully) out of their steamy, bubbly bath.

Onsen eggs came about thanks to Japan’s abundance of natural hot springs where the simmering temperatures can create a miracle if you drop in an egg - the egg white turns creamy and custardy, and the yolk becomes perfectly runny. Only barely a solid form, the eggs coat everything in luxury when poked.

I haven’t quite perfected my method for them yet (~63 minutes in a huge pot of water heated to about 145 degrees F and then tossed into an ice bath for 15 min), but even if they don’t come out quite perfectly, I love them. The possibilities seem endless. Got biscuits? Throw an onsen egg on ‘em (preferably with some bacon). Spicy curry or a fat bowl of ramen? Put one of these bad boys on top. On the go and need a quick breakfast? Shoot one out of the shell down your gullet right in front of the fridge. Can’t say I’ve tried this yet, but only because I believe in leisurely breakfast!

This magical egg variation came into my life right as I was getting bored of my weekday breakfast - muesli. While endlessly customizable and admittedly full of goodness, the oats, seeds, and berries sometimes feel like eating birdseed.

[Enter onsen tamago]

My breakfasts lately are a revelation. I’ve shifted to quick grits as a base, usually with some added cheese for salt and umami (shoutout to TJ’s Unexpected Cheddar), topped with an onsen egg and a variety of other options, depending on the day - snipped green onions, white pepper, soy sauce, chile flakes, sesame oil, etc. etc. Since they keep in the fridge for several days, I do a batch of several at a time to streamline my breakfast prep. It’s the kind of breakfast that can make you consider going back to bed, honestly, but it really starts my day on a high note!

What do you usually have for breakfast? Do you snag something on the go, or do you take your sweet, sweet time with it like me? Plz don’t tell me you skip breakfast…

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