The Japanese savory egg custard steamed in a teacup and typically containing chicken, shrimp, and ginkgo nuts is chawanmushi. Its name combines chawan, meaning teacup or small bowl, with mushi, meaning steamed. Unlike sweet custards, it is served as a savory course or side dish.
The base is a mixture of beaten egg, dashi, soy sauce, and mirin. Ingredients are placed in a cup, the liquid is poured over them, and the dish is steamed gently until it becomes smooth and delicate. Typical additions include chicken, boiled shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, kamaboko fish cake, lily root, and ginkgo seeds.
Chawanmushi is usually eaten with a spoon because its soft custard cannot be lifted with chopsticks. It may be served hot or chilled, depending on the season and setting. The dish resembles Chinese steamed eggs and Korean gyeran-jjim, but its dashi seasoning and layered fillings give it a distinctly Japanese character. When udon is added, it is called odamaki mushi.