Chawanmushi

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Chawanmushi (茶碗蒸し, Chawanmushi, literally "tea cup steam" or "steamed in a tea bowl") is an egg custard dish found in Japan that is made with ginkgo seeds. Unlike many other custards, it is usually eaten as an appetizer.

Chawanmushi is a gentle, stock-enriched, non-sweet custard that consists of an egg mixture flavored with soy sauce, dashi and mirin, with numerous ingredients such as shiitake mushrooms, kamaboko, and boiled shrimp placed into a tea-cup-like container. The recipe for the dish is similar to that of Chinese steamed eggs, but the toppings may often differ.

Even if the egg completely sets in steaming, the stock and juices loosen by different ingredients gives the dish a soupy appearance. Chawanmushi is regarded as a soup that can be eaten hot or cold, using either chopsticks or a spoon.