Boil your own Hot Spring Egg

Alongside the hot spring river running through the historical village of Yunomine Onsen is a basin gushing with water so hot you can boil an egg in it. Literally. You can buy an egg at a nearby store (or at the Saturday market if you’re lucky), hang it in a net, hook it onto the railing, and wait 12 minutes. Crack it open and you have yourself an onsen tamago, or “hot spring egg.” It seems a bit redundant to boil eggs in sulfur-scented water, but it magically makes them tastier, which is perhaps why this time-old Japanese tradition is enjoyed at hot spring villages throughout Japan. The villagers also boil bamboo shoots, taro roots and other vegetables in this basin, which you can enjoy for dinner if you’re staying overnight in a ryokan.

August 15, 2016