Nama Tamago Kake Gohan (Raw egg over rice)

Let's face it: enjoying it raw is risky. At least here in America. In Japan, however, tamago (egg) is eaten   completely uncooked all the time; thanks to their strict laws regarding food standards and the fact that their chickens are raised in a free roaming environment, all of their eggs are what we'd call organic, which means the risk of salmonella poisoning is next to nothing.

Why eat your eggs raw? Because doing so will help your body feel and function better. You see, the more we cook a food, the more enzymes and nutrients we kill. When you eat a food in its original state, its chemical makeup keeps its natural form. Those who support the case for eating eggs raw say that the change in chemical shape of egg protein when it is cooked are what causes allergies, and that such allergies can be avoided when eggs are eaten raw.

In Japan, raw eggs are often eaten as a breakfast food (although like Americans, the Japanese sometimes eat their breakfast foods for dinner.) The most common, easy to prepare dish that incorporates them is "Nama tamago kake gohan". The "kake" part of the name of this food is short for "bukkake", which literally means "splash". Translated literally, it means "raw egg splashed over rice".




The dish requires just four ingredients:
1.Rice. We prefer brown rice as shown here for its nutritional value, but that's our personal preference. White rice works just fine and is in fact more common in Japan.
2.Eggs- but not just any eggs. We used Organic Valley large brown eggs, which the guy working at Sunrise Mart on St. Mark's assured us were safe for raw consumption provided we rinse the shell. He added that he personally preferred the white Organic Valleys, which are evn safer.
3.Nori (seaweed). The best kind to use for this particular recipe is the one that comes in a jar, as shown below.
4. Soy sauce (Duh. It's a Japanese dish involving rice.)

Nori (seaweed)

Organic brown eggs (suitable for raw
consumption, provided shell is rinsed)

Prep time for this is ridiculously quick, provided the rice is already cooked; about 2 minutes if it is, 32 minutes if you have to wait for the rice. If you don't have a rice cooker or don't feel like waiting, you can always stop by your local Chinese take out place and grab a pint for a dollar or two. 

Start by cracking the egg over the rice, keeping the yolk in tact. Some people use all of the egg white, while others use little to none. Ours shown in the photo above lies somewhere in the middle. 

Stir thoroughly until you have a frothy, hearty mixture as shown below:

Raw egg may repulse you, and eating it together with seaweed may make do so even more. But I urge you to set aside your reservations and give it a shot. I did it, and personally I wake up some mornings craving it full force. Eggs, especially eaten in their raw form, are chock full of vitamins A, D, and E, while seaweed has been proven to fight cancer by inhibiting  Both seaweed and eggs that contains iodine, which is essential for healthy thyroid function. Surprisingly enough, seaweed eaters also enjoy several sexual health benefits. The B2 content in seaweed assists in hormone production in women, resulting in an aphrodisiac effect. Like eggs, seaweed is also rich in vitamin E, which aids in sperm production. So go ahead, eat up; if you're into it, you can enjoy bukkake again later in the evening!

Omelet rice, wrapped with love

If you're not Asian or didn't grow up in an Asian household, the idea of eating rice with your eggs rather than toast may make you uncomfortable, maybe even a bit squeamish. But trust me; once you try it, you'll be hooked. Consider it a breakfast burrito without the burrito wrap.
The ingredients are simple: a teeny bit of olive oil, onion, garlic, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup of rice (cooked), salt, black pepper, and ketchup. For our version,  we use brown rice, which is so much healthier than bread-even whole grain bread-because it's less processed. If you have rice that is left over from the night before that you don't want to waste, you can even use that, rather than going out of your way to prepare fresh.
Basically, the eggs are prepared the same way they are in an omelette; crack the eggs in a bowl, beat, then pour into a pan coated with oil. I usually like to add a teeny bit of salt and a few shakes of black pepper for some flavor. Bake until bottom side is firm, then flip and do the same for the top. Simultaneously, bake the rice over medium-high flame, adding oil, chopped garlic, and diced onion as desired. After the rice has browned slightly, turn off flame and wrap inside the eggs. Be very, very gentle, as the eggs tend to break apart easily. Add ketchup to taste (or to express your affection for the person for whom you prepared the dish) and serve.
If your omelette broke, or otherwise looks sloppy, not to worry; getting it to look perfect takes practice. The only rule is that you prepare with an open and happy heart; as long as you do this, your sweetheart will be sure to taste the love inside!