Konbi's version of Japanese convenience store egg salad uses slightly different ingredients compared to what we're used to. There are hard-boiled eggs, of course (six of them go into the egg salad, to be exact), but then just one scallion, sliced thin — no pickles or celery. For the binder, Konbi's recipe calls for 1-1/2 teaspoons each of rice wine vinegar and dijon mustard, and 1 tablespoon of creme fraiche, which The Kitchn says is like sour cream but it's thicker and has a richer flavor. Then, there's the all-important mayonnaise — just 1 tablespoon of it. But don't go reaching for Duke's or Hellman's.
Japanese-style egg salad features Kewpie mayonnaise. According to Food & Wine, Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise consists of just egg yolks, rather than whole eggs, and it gets its seasoning from MSG and either rice or apple vinegar. The resulting flavor is something much creamier and slightly sweeter than traditional American mayo.
So, we've uncovered the secret ingredient. How about technique? Food52 says a characteristic quality of Japanese egg salad is a cloudy, fluffy texture, and the trick for achieving it is to blitz the hard-boiled eggs in the food processor rather than chop them by hand. Simple enough! With these tips and tricks, your egg salad game has officially been upped.
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