Celebrate Japanese New Year with Datemaki or Japanese sweet rolled omelette! Made with egg and hanpen (fish cake), this sweet rolled omelette is a delicious complement to your osechi ryori menu. Baked in the oven and rolled into cylinder, this omelette is simple enough to make from scratch for the festive season.
Datemaki (伊達巻) is a sweet rolled omelette and a popular Japanese New Year’s foods (osechi ryori, 御節料理), typically served in a lacquered jubako (special square boxes similar to lunch box). This dish is by far my favorite dish among the new year foods and I look forward to eating it every year.
Although pre-made datemaki is readily available during this time of the year in Japanese supermarkets, it is easy to make and I hope you try making this dish from scratch.
Watch How to Make Datemaki (Sweet Rolled Omelette) 伊達巻の作り方
Sweet rolled omelette made of egg and hanpen, typically served as part of osechi ryori during Japanese New Years celebration.
Ingredients for Datemaki
Datemaki is similar to tamagoyaki. The main ingredients are eggs and sweet seasonings like mirin, honey and soy sauce, but the big difference is that datemaki includes a square white fish cake called hanpen. (はんぺん).
Hanpen is made from grated Japanese yam (yamaimo) and surimi (Alaska Pollock), salt, and kombu dashi and it adds an unique texture to the egg omelette, like a soft fish cake. If you cannot find hanpen, you can substitute with white fish, scallop, or shrimp.
Although many datemaki recipes require dashi, I find it not necessary as hanpen is made of kombu dashi and it already adds nice flavor to the omelette. Of course you can always add dashi if you like.
After blending all the ingredients for the egg mixture, it is then baked until firm and nicely brown on the outside.
I really miss my family in Japan as the year is close to the end and families are getting together to celebrate the New Years together.
When I was small, my family used to spend the winter breaks in my grandparents home in Osaka so that we can celebrate the New Year’s Day with all the family members. Grandma, aunties, my mom, and I – all the women in the family – would start preparing the new year foods a few days prior to the New Year Day. While we spend most of the days in the kitchen, men in the family do the cleaning inside and outside of the house and help run errands for any last minute shopping.
New Years celebration was my favorite holiday growing up. It’s the biggest celebration in Japan and I enjoyed family time and the feasting as well as receiving otoshidama (monetary gift) from all the adult family members and playing new year games. It’s one Japanese holiday that I wish to be in Japan to celebrate.
Thank you so much for reading! Next, I’ll be back with a really easy and quick dish that is perfect to serve as an hors d’oeuvre for the holiday table or as part of your osechi ryori to welcome the New Year.
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- 110 g Hanpen (fish cake) (See Notes)
- 4 large eggs
Gather all the ingredients.
- Preheat oven to 390F (200C). Line a 8" x 8" (20 x 20cm) baking dish with parchment paper.
- Cut hanpen into 1/2 inch cubes and whisk eggs in a small bowl.
- In a blender or food processor, put hanpen, Seasonings, and beaten egg and blend until smooth.
- Strain the egg mixture through a fine sieve twice and pour into the baking dish lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 390F (200C) for 20 minutes or until slightly brown on top. If not brown, broil for 2 minutes or until the surface is a nice even light brown color.
- [Note: We will need to roll the omelette while it’s hot.] Once the omelette is done, remove the omelette from the baking pan by lifting the parchment paper. Place the bamboo mat (flat side is facing up) over the omelette. Carefully flip the omelette, holding the parchment paper with one hand and bamboo mat with the other hand. Remove the parchment paper.
- Score 1/8 inch (3 mm) deep with a sharp knife every 1/2 inch so the omelette will roll up nicely without breaking.
- Roll omelette into a tight cylinder and secure with rubber brands. Wrap the bamboo roll with plastic wrap. Cool it standing up vertically to maintain a nice round shape. Put the plate underneath to catch liquid dripping.
- After 2-3 hours, carefully remove datemaki from bamboo mat. Cut into 3/4 inch wide pieces. Serve at room temperature. You can store in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Hanpen: It is a white, square/triangle-shape surimi product with a soft mild taste. It’s made from surimi (Alaska Pollock), salt, and kombu dashi with grated Japanese mountain yam (yamaimo / nagaimo) as biding agent (as it's very slimy after grated). You can find Hanpen in the refrigerated or frozen section of a Japanese grocery store. If you cannot find hanpen, substitute with white fish (skinless/boneless), scallop or shrimp.
Equipment you will need:
- 8" x 8" (20 x 20cm) baking dish
- Parchment paper
- A bamboo mat*
To make nice bigger indentations to datemaki, use bamboo mat with thicker bamboo strips. In Japan we have a special bamboo mat for datemaki and it’s called Oni-Sudare, which gives big ridges.
Recipe by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook. All images and content on this site are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you’d like to share this recipe on your site, please re-write the recipe and link to this post as the original source. Thank you.
Your datemaki looks wonderful, Nami! I really enjoyed the video to see all of the steps. Hope you are having a wonderful time in NYC! 🙂
Oh, Nami, you read my mind! I start to crave datemaki something fierce at this time of year, and all other osechi ryori (candied chestnuts, kuromame, tazukuri, sweet kombu…) I loved the sweetness of these when I was a little girl, they reminded me of cake. Happy New Year to you and your family. I hope you enjoy a lot of delicious ozoni!
Lovely new look for the new year Nami!! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas time! I hope that 2014 bring more fantastic things! 😀
伊達巻きは大好きですがほたてを使うとちょう美味しいでしょう。
ニューヨークのクリスマスは確かに美しいでしょうね。。。しかし、元年になると日本の伝統は懐かしいでしょうね。
What an unusual recipe of which I have never heard! Fascinating! I hardly think I can access hanpen here, but the substitutions you have provided will give some idea of what you have so enjoyed. Say hello to New York for me ~ love the city even tho’ have not been for quite a few years 🙂 !
Happy New Year Eha! Thank you so much for your kind comment!
Another intriguing Japanese recipe that I’ve never heard of but which sounds delicious. Thank you for sharing the recipe and the wonderfully clear instructions.
Mmmm.. this looks delicious! I love fish cake, and partnered with this swet egg mix. I would simply be in heaven!
I hope you had a good Christmas and I can not wait for the next new year recipe.
I enjoyed reading and learning about datemaki. Hope you’re enjoying the time in NY, will you be there to enjoy New Year’s too? Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones, Nami! 🙂
When I first saw the photo, I was wondering how you got those pretty indentations around the datemaki. =) This really seems like a simple and still delicious recipe; I can see how it can easily be a New Year’s favorite!
Thanks for continuing to share osechi ryori with us — the dishes look so elegant, and I love the image you shared of everyone pitching in to help for New Year’s preparations. Also, I’m glad to hear that your family is having fun in NYC! There’s a Japanese wagashi store called Minamoto Kitchoan that I always like to visit every time I’m in the city. Hope that you and your family enjoy a wonderful New Year’s!
Hi Kimmi! Happy New Year! There’s Minamoto Kitchoan in SF too, but I haven’t had a chance to visit SF store yet. I should check it out! I hope you had a wonderful holiday. 🙂
Nami I’ve never seen this before – it’s beautiful. I’d love to make this. So when you score the omelet it’s just enough to allow it to break when rolling but not cutting all the way through, correct?
Great recipe and video. Happy Holidays and a Happy and Healthy New Year to you and your family.
Hi Vicki! Happy New Year! Yes, you’re absolutely correct. It’s easier to roll without breaking it after you score the omelette. 🙂
Happy New Year in beautiful New York. In April, we are going on a cruise from Los Angeles to Osaka. Our daughter was in Osaka in 1995 during the big earth quake, but she loved the city. We are looking forward to our visit, even for one day.
Happy New Year Sandy! How exciting! I didn’t know there is a cruise that goes from LA to Osaka! It’s a nice season to visit Japan during that time. Have a great trip!
Wow!!! Love it ^_^ You’re always good at it Nami
Isn’t NYC fun? I worked there for a decade (lived about a 45 – 50 minute train ride up the Hudson River) and really enjoyed it. And this recipe is fun, too! Unlike anything I’ve ever made – really nice. Thanks!
Datemaki is new to me. I have never imagined that an omlette can be sweet. I love the face that this is so simple, Nami. All the ingredients are easily available in my country, except the hanpen. Have a wonderful time with your family…enjoy in NYC, dear!! 🙂
This will make a perfect breakfast. I am planning on visiting Japan this year and I can’t wait. I love Japanese food, I’ve tried out quite a few of your recipes and I can’t wait for all the restaurants in Japan 😀
Nami, the image in my mind of you cooking with the women in your family is a happy one with wonderful conversations, food, and laughter! I hope your trip to NYC is filled with many such memories in the making. This is a new dish to me, but it sounds delicious! Happy New Year and best wishes in 2014.
Oh Nami, these look beautiful! And easier to make than the tamagoyaki that gave me such trouble!
I wonder though, can you suggest a vegetarian substitute for the hanpen? Or shall I just leave it out altogether?
My best wishes for a wonderful family New Year’s Eve, and a very happy 2014!
Happy New Year Ina! So sorry for my late response. You have a good question! I actually never made or thought of vegetarian version and I’m not sure how we can substitute the fish cake (or shrimp/scallop/fish). It needs similar texture – do you think tofu would work? Sorry I can’t help much… Hope you have a wonderful 2014 too!
Good suggestion, thank you. Maybe a soft tofu. I think I’ll just add a little extra soy sauce to disguise the tofu taste a little, though!
And thank you too, Nami, for telling me how the Japanese put sugar in their omelets. That is truly delicious, who would have thought?! I’ll never make a salty egg dish again!
Yeah soft tofu. I love sweet egg since I was small. Tamago/egg sushi, shredded egg crepes over chirashi sushi, datemaki, tamagoyaki… love that sweet (not super sweet) flavor. 🙂
Me too!
Was it successful with Tofu? I am making the chicken meatballs this week and was thinking of making this with the excess tofu and wondered if anyone had already tried it. Thanks!
A very different omelette then what I know of and it looks so beautiful, perfect for the holidays. Happy New Year to you and your family!
I hope you’re having a good time in NYC. I’m sorry to hear you won’t be in Japan for the New Year’s celebrations. I loved reading about your family’s traditions. This omelette looks very pretty xx
So perfect, I don’t think I could ever make it so pretty, but I never done it in the oven before, always in the pan… I really need to try! I don’t have a microwave, only a normal oven though…
Ciao and Happy New Year Nami!!!
Alessandra
Oh Nami hope you are having a wonderful time with your Family in NY. Your datemaki looks delicioius and simple to make with your great recipe video!
Cheers,
J+C
This sounds so interesting. I’ve never had anything like it before. And you’ve made it so beautifully! It looks so gourmet! I hope you have a great time in NYC, and that your Christmas was very merry. Happy New Year Nami! Here’s to a happy, healthy 2014!
Your omelet roll is so perfect. Have a great time in NYC…I’m glad it reminds you of home. Have a wonderful 2014!
Thank you for the recipe, it looks really good, Nami! Shinnen Omedeto gozaimasu to you and family!
Akemashite Omedeto, Marguerite! I’m glad to hear you like the recipe. 🙂 Arigato!
I looked at the first photo and wondered about those ridges. What a lovely post full of memory food. Your datemaki does look good! I enjoyed the video, Nami.
What beautiful family traditions and such a wonderful recipe for datemaki. Enjoy NYC with your family. Thanks for sharing all your recipes, stories and cooking tips. Happy 2014, Nami!
It’s interesting to see an egg dish that is also sweet. I’ve never come across this one but would absolutely love to try it. Happy New Year, Nami! I hope you are having a wonderful time with family in NYC 🙂
This omelette reminds me a swiss roll… it is so pretty.
You are so clever!
This looks so pretty and simple. I would love to try a piece.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family.
おいしそう！
ohh, I LOVE tamagoyaki, so I know i`ll love this! Plus, I love fish cake as well! What makes this even better is the fact that you bake it (my favorite way to make food, hehe).
Hope you`re having a blast in NYC!
This looks wonderful Nami! Hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas and enjoy NYC 🙂 Happy New Year and all the best for 2014 🙂
Wow, what a beautiful way to present a omelet. I love the step by step in this one… because I would have never figured out how you rolled it so perfectly. 🙂 Hope you have a wonderful and happy New Year 2014!!
What an interesting and pretty rolled omelette, Nami! I also miss my family and wish that I could be celebrating the New Year with them. Enjoy NYC…Wishing you and your family a very happy 2014!
wow, the scoring process made quite beautifull shape when you roll the egg..
btw, i love making this sort of omelette with tofu, but none with fish cake before, tempting to try!
Wish you a Happy New Year my friend!!!
Nicely done! Looks delicious even though it’s simple…I like the video…wishing you a Happy New Year 2014:D
This is like fish egg rolls. We have something similar but not sweet. I love how unique Japanese tastes are but yet not too different that a Chinese like me cannot appreciate.
Hi I Have a question-if we substitute happen with white flesh, do we blend the fish raw, or cooked with the egg? Thanks!
Happy New Year Mizuki! I apologize for my late response due to my travel. We use raw fish (or surimi). 🙂
Wow, it has been way too long since I last stopped by. I hope you had a lovely time with family in NYC! I love this recipe, it would be a perfect treat to pack for this traveling girl! It sounds like it is full of flavor, and really delicious! Hugs, Terra
Thats one nice looking egg
It’s quite beautiful, I like the texture the bamboo mat gives the rolled omelette.
I had no idea datemaki was made with fish cake! It looks so beautiful and carefully rolled… I wish I could taste it. I don’t think I’d ever obtain such a beautiful result (my tamagoyaki are still quite clumsy 😉 ).
This is so so so cool! I really love this Nami. Pretty shape, flavorful, delicious…oh I can’t wait to make this with my kids. Thanks for the idea and the recipe! Awesome video too!
nami, i have ben continually impressed with justonecookbook. It is such a treat to see how you grow and get better and better! I have been a Japanophile for 30 years, and I love the choices you make for the recips you cover. I was thinking about this particular recipe and how i would make it if i were doing lots and lots of rolls, instead of just one. (Can you tell I owned a catering company for 30 years?!) I think i would place a piece of plastic wrap over the bamboo mat, with the plastic wrap hanging over the left and right side about2-3 inches. I would put the cooked egg square on the plastic wrap with the browned side up, lay a sheet of nori the same size- over the egg, and roll it up tightly, removing the bamboo mat at the end and twisting the ends of the plastic wrap , one one direction and the other the other direction, to make the roll tight, and then chill, remove the wrap, and slice. And maybe present with a little tobiko in the middle (the nori and the tobiko making up for the scalloped edge that would have been imprinted if the roll had been done your way, in the bamboo mat. Thanks for the inspiration, Nami!
(That plastic wrap end- twisting technique is what i use when I make poached chicken or seafood ‘sausages’, for making the roll both tight and watertight. When sliced, the spirals come out very neat!))
Thank you so much for your kind words and I’m so happy to hear that you enjoy my recipes. 🙂 30 years of catering experience is amazing! I am not very good at cooking for many people. I get very nervous when I have to feed many people. xD I need to learn some trick and tips from you!
As for datemaki, one thing I should mention is the shape. You see the wavy decoration around datemaki? It’s signature look. So if you want to keep that, you may need to leave the bamboo with the roll… but if you don’t mind, you should be okay with the plastic wrap method!
Thank you for your comment! 🙂
OMG! You make it look so easy. I cant wait to try it now. Thank you for the demo. That helped me!!
Hi Pamela! I hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
When you say to keep the bamboo mat straight while cooling to maintain the round shape, do you mean to cool it standing up vertically? Thanks! Your recipes are making our New Year’s dinner even better!
Hi Karen! Yes “vertically” so one side of round shape won’t be flat. I’ll edit my recipe later. I can’t believe I forgot to take the picture of the process. Thank you for asking. Hope you enjoy this recipe! Happy New Year to you and your family!
So THAT’s hanpen! I was watching an action show (well, okay, if you must know I was watching Kikaida!) and Hattori Hanpei the detective (and supposedly the descendant of Hattori Hanzou) was constantly frustrated by people calling him Hanpen. I sort of get the joke now.
I make tamagoyaki but haven’t tried making this variation. We just went to Mitsuwa yesterday. I wish I had checked out this recipe before we went so I could pick up some fish cake. I think my daughter will be there on New Year’s Day, so I’ll have her get me some. I’d really like to make this for the new year.
Hi Linda! I know, unlike Tamagoyaki, this Datemaki requires the hanpen (fish cake)…. it’s hard to make it without planning. 🙁 I hope you like this recipe. It tastes amazing! 🙂
Using the easiest to find type of surimi in the US, “artificial” or “imitation” crab meat, turns out almost as tasty as using the harder to find (and more expensive when ordered online) hanpen. I added 1tbsp of homemade dashi to compensate for the less intense flavor of the artificial crab meat. The texture is slightly different than when hanpen is used, but it’s fairly close and much easier to find for me.
Delicious recipe, and so easy!
Hi PK! I’m glad to hear surimi works fine! Thank you for your tips, my readers and I appreciate your feedback!
I have a question. I was thinking of making datemaki for New Year’s, but I probably need to make it the night before. Would it be OK to make it on New Year’s Eve and refrigerate it? I live in a warm climate, so I don’t think I would be able to leave it out on the counter. I could take it out of the fridge an hour or two before serving.
Hi Debbie! Yes, we usually make osechi the night or 2 days before for some ingredients. Osechi is seasoned stronger to keep it for several days (so that women in the family don’t need to cook on New Year’s Day etc). Datemaki is actually good even it’s cold, so you can definitely make this ahead, and then serve on New Year’s Day… by the time you eat, it should be around room temp, too. 🙂
Mmm, I can’t wait to try making this! I wonder, have you ever tried freezing these for easy use in bentos?
Hi Candice! I hope you enjoy this recipe! You can definitely freeze this. Before the New Years, Japanese grocery stores start to sell frozen Datemaki from Japan. 🙂
some of the ingredients are hard for me to get, do you have a recipe to make your own hanpen with a possible substitute for the yam? I know there is probably a place to order it (the link next to the item in ingredient list does not load for me), but if there is a way I can make it from scratch myself – I would prefer to. And sorry to be such a pest all the time.
Hi Lori! I understand. I think without a Japanese grocery store it’s quite difficult to gather ingredients to make traditional Japanese new year dishes. I’ve never tried it myself, but white fish paste, scallop or shrimp is supposed to work well as substitute. You can’t use just Nagaimo. I wrote Japanese Yam in the Note section, but I’m going to change it to Nagaimo or Yamaimo as it’s not regular yam. It’s more like sticky and gooey and slimy yam, and saying Japanese yam might be a bit confusing. We use this slimy yam as “binding agent” not as a main ingredient. 🙂
I made this for New Year’s. It tasted great! But I had some issues with mine, and I’d love your help trying to solve them. I made my datemaki on Friday for Sunday. I actually made 2. I stored them in the fridge, still rolled up in the mats and wrapped in plastic. They didn’t go into the fridge until they were completely cooled. On Sunday, I set them out on the counter to get to room temperature, and then I unrolled. One fell apart into pieces right off. The other one had a crack, but I was able to work with it to keep it in tact.
My question is: should I have unrolled them 2-3 hours after they had been cooled and then rerolled and put in the fridge? In other words, not inside the mats?
Happy New Year to you and your family. Or as we say here, Hauoli Makahiki Hou!.
Hi Debbie! I’m glad you liked the taste! Now, let’s see about the issue. I usually keep it rolled in the bamboo wrappers until it’s ready to cut. I think it’s much easier to cut when it’s cold and tighten up. When it comes to room temperature, datemaki gets loose loose I think.
Hauoli Makahiki Hou to you and your family!
I made some of your New Year’s recipes for my Japanese husband:.sweet potato with chestnuts, sweet rolled omelette (I put spinach in the middle); daikon /carrot salad; simmered chicken with vegetables; and simmered shrimp. I kept him out of the kitchen so he wouldn’t see what I was making. When he came to the New Year’s table, he patted his heart and said, “I am in Japan!.” Thank you, Nami-san!!! P.S. I have written a cookbook “Off The Grid, What’s Cookin’?” which includes many JP recipes, especially mozuku – so delish. Feel free to use any of them in your blog if you can give me credit. Thanks again, big time!!!
Hi Lynne! So happy to hear your husband was impressed with your osechi! You did an amazing job! And how cute that you were hiding all the dishes you were cooking. 😀 So sweet! Thank you for introducing your cookbook. I had many delicious mozuku dishes when I was visiting in Okinawa this past week. So delicious!
I just made datemaki using this recipe for part of my osechiryouri and the first batch turned out great! The only thing I realized I need to be more careful with next time is to not make the slits of the datemaki too deep right before rolling it (#8 of instructions). I did that with the second batch and it was a challenge to roll it without pieces falling off! It was a success for a first time recipe and I will make it again next year, thanks!
Hi Kay! Thank you for trying this recipe! Yeah, shallow slits will be enough to be a bit more flexible, so don’t try to make perfect slits, better than accidentally cutting off. xD Thank you for your kind feedback! ox
Do you think datemaki would be appropriate as an ingredient in futomaki, inlieu of the tamagoyaki. Maybe cooked in a larger baking sheet to be slightly thinner and of course sliced into strips instead of rolled.
Hi Grace! Sure! I’d love that idea. 🙂