When you have no appetite, when your fridge is empty, or when your bank account is low... we have egg rice.

"What is that?" Surely no one is asking that, right? It's just rice topped with a raw egg, mixed together.

It's said to be similar to Japan's tamagokake gohan, but we are the originals. The originals.

The important thing here is that it's not about placing a pre-cooked soft-boiled egg on top of the rice.

The key is to cook the raw egg with the heat of the freshly cooked rice.

The rice cooks the egg, and the egg envelops the rice... it's not some culinary philosophy, but it's really delicious.

How to make it

1. Scoop the freshly cooked hot rice into a bowl. You need to move quickly before it cools down. If you take your time, the game is over.
2. Make a small indentation in the rice with a spoon to create a nest.
3. Crack a raw egg into that nest.
4. Cover it lightly with rice or put a lid on it.
5. Wait a moment. If you like it soft-boiled, wait a short time; if you want it hard-boiled, wait a bit longer.

In the past, this was done in a traditional rice bowl with a lid, and the steaming hot rice just out of the pot worked perfectly with the bowl's heat retention.

So, those who are serious about it use a pre-warmed earthenware pot. You can add soy sauce and mix it up.

At this point, Joseon soy sauce pairs better than Japanese soy sauce. The deep and salty flavor of the soup soy sauce matches the richness of the egg rice perfectly.

You can add sesame oil, but if you add it like you would for bibimbap, it can be greasy, so just add a little in one corner and taste to decide.

If you use perilla oil instead of sesame oil, you'll also get some omega-3s, and the texture of the richness changes, which is also quite nice.

How can something so simple be so delicious?

What ingredients are there? Rice, egg, soy sauce. That's it.

But the combination of freshly cooked rice + the gently cooked soft-boiled egg from the heat of the rice + Joseon soy sauce creates a synergy that exceeds expectations.

It feels like 1+1+1 equals about 300.

One bite and you'll think, "Ah, this is it..."

But why have I stopped eating it lately?

I used to eat it a lot. But these days, it's rare for steaming hot rice just out of the pot to make it to the table, and most of the time it's lukewarm rice from an electric rice cooker, so it's naturally been forgotten.

Even with warmed rice, just put it in a bowl → make an indentation on top → crack a raw egg in → microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute, and it's done.

Depending on your preference, you can adjust the time for soft or hard-boiled.

Egg rice is a savior when you have no appetite and a dish that makes you wonder, "Why is this so delicious?" every time you eat it.

If you haven't tried it yet, make it today. You won't regret it.