How to Make Ajitama (Japanese Ramen Eggs) at Home — With Just Mentsuyu

October 25, 2026 October 25, 2026

Keiko

Have you ever tried ajitama (味玉)? Yes, those flavoured soft-boiled eggs you often see sitting on top of a bowl of ramen. They're also called nitamago (煮卵), and in English they're sometimes known simply as "ramen eggs."

Here's the good news: you can make them easily at home. The secret is mentsuyu (めんつゆ, Japanese noodle sauce), which I introduced in an earlier post. Honestly, that one bottle is all you need.

How to Make Ajitama

It really is simple!

Put room-temperature eggs into boiling water.
Boil them for 5 minutes and 30 seconds.
The yolks will be quite runny at this point. If you're not a fan of soft yolks, just boil them a little longer.
When the time is up, transfer the eggs to ice water.
Peel the eggs while they're in the ice water.
Pour in 2x concentrated mentsuyu until the eggs are covered.
This gives a fairly strong flavour. If you prefer something milder, it's perfectly fine to dilute the mentsuyu with water. For what it's worth, in our house we dilute it with an equal amount of water.
Leave them in the fridge for half a day to a full day…they’re ready to enjoy!

Watch Me Make Ajitama

I've also made a YouTube Short showing exactly how I make these ajitama at home. If you'd like to see the steps in action, have a look here:

▶️ How to Make Ajitama (Japanese Ramen Eggs) — YouTube Shorts https://youtube.com/shorts/3vJxw3RoTlY

References :

This channel is run by a Japanese woman living in Japan, sharing a look at everyday Japanese food and culture. I hope it gives you some fun souvenir ideas and a few useful tips for everyday life along the way.