Datemaki — Sweet Rolled Omelette for New Year
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.