Japan — osechi tradition, associated with New Year celebration
Datemaki is a sweet, slightly crinkled rolled omelette made with beaten eggs combined with a significant proportion of hanpen (fish cake) or surimi, which gives it a distinctive bouncy-soft texture quite different from tamagoyaki. The fish content also adds umami depth to what would otherwise be a simple sweet egg roll. Datemaki is a mandatory osechi component associated with wishes for academic achievement (its resemblance to scrolled documents representing wish for written learning). It is flavoured with sugar, mirin, and sometimes sake; finished in a square mould (otoshibuta technique) or a sushimaki roll mat to create the distinctive crinkle ridges on the surface. The name 'date' refers to elegant, dandyish appearance — the golden ridged roll is visually striking in osechi arrangements.
Sweet, eggy, slightly umami from fish content; firm-soft bouncy texture; golden colour represents prosperity in osechi symbolism
Hanpen (fish cake) must be smooth — process in food processor or through a fine sieve before mixing with eggs; the egg-to-hanpen ratio determines texture (more hanpen = firmer, more resilient; fewer hanpen = softer, more custard-like); sugar is essential and relatively high by savoury standards; roll while hot in a bamboo mat to create the distinctive exterior ridges; cool completely before slicing.
Commercial datemaki (available at New Year from depachika/department store food halls) is consistently excellent and represents the standard home cooks compare against; for home production: bake the egg-hanpen mixture in a rectangular pan rather than a frying pan for more even cooking; a bamboo sushimaki mat rolled tightly around the hot omelette and secured with rubber bands creates the ridges as it cools; datemaki keeps 3–4 days refrigerated, making it suitable for osechi multi-day consumption.
Skipping the hanpen or surimi component (this is what distinguishes datemaki from standard tamagoyaki — without it, the texture is wrong); under-sweetening (datemaki should be notably sweet — this is intentional for osechi balance); rolling too late when the omelette has cooled and lost flexibility; cutting before fully cooled (the roll needs to set before slicing for clean cuts).
The Japanese Kitchen — Hiroko Shimbo