View source for Omurice

{{short description|Western-influenced Japanese dish consisting of an omelette with rice}}
{{Infobox Prepared Food
| name = Omurice
| image = Omurice by Taimeiken.jpg
| caption = Omurice topped with [[ketchup]]
| alternate_name = Japanese Egg Roll Fried Rice 
| place_of_origin = [[Japan]]
| region =
| creator =
| year = 
| course = 
| served = 
| main_ingredient = [[Chicken egg]]s, rice and [[ketchup]] optional 
| variations = Omu Curry, Omuhayashi (with [[hayashi rice]]), Omu-Soba, Tampopo omurice
| calories = 
| other = 
}}
'''Omurice''' or {{nihongo|'''omu-rice'''|オムライス|''Omu-raisu''}} is a [[Japanese cuisine|Japanese]] dish<ref name="Just">"[http://www.justhungry.com/2006/08/omuraisu_omu_ri.html Omuraisu (also known as omurice or omu rice, Japanese rice omelet)]", JustHungry.com.</ref> consisting of an [[omelette]] made with [[fried rice]] and thin, fried [[scrambled eggs]], usually topped with [[ketchup]].<ref>Nishimoto, Miyoko (June 1992). "Beyond Sushi: Japanese Cooking in the Great Home-Style Tradition", ''Vegetarian Times'', No. 178. {{issn|0164-8497}}.</ref><ref>Paxton, Norbert (2008). ''The Rough Guide to Korea'', p.249. {{ISBN|978-1-4053-8420-9}}.</ref> It is a popular dish also commonly cooked at home. Children in particular enjoy ''omurice''. It is often featured in Japan's version of a [[children's meal]], {{nihongo|''okosama-ranchi''|お子様ランチ}}.<ref name="Just"/>

==Etymology==
{{Wiktionary}}
With ''omu'' and ''raisu'' being derived from the [[Japanese pronunciation]] of the French word ''omelette'' and the English word ''rice'',<ref name="Kitchen">Shimbo, Hiroko (2000). ''The Japanese Kitchen'', p.148. {{ISBN|1-55832-177-2}}.</ref> the name is an example of ''[[wasei-eigo]]''.

==History==
Stories about the origins of ''omurice'' vary. One story says that it originated around the turn of the 20th century<ref name="Kitchen"/> at a Western-style restaurant in [[Tokyo]]'s [[Ginza]] district called ''Renga-tei'', inspired by ''[[chakin-zushi]]''.<ref>Kishi Asako (March 15, 2002). "[http://web-japan.org/nipponia/nipponia20/en/appetit/index.html NIPPONIA No.20: Omuraisu]", Web-Japan.org.</ref>

Another story says that the dish originated in 1925 at another Western-style restaurant – Hokkyokusei in Minami, [[Osaka]] – when a cook decided to enliven a regular customer's order of an omelet with rice.<ref>{{cite web |title=Omu-rice |url=https://osaka-info.jp/en/gourmet/gastronomy-omurice/ |website=Osaka Info |publisher=Osaka Convention and Tourism Bureau |access-date=27 April 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

==Variations==
The dish typically consists of ''chikin raisu''([[:ja:チキンライス|ja]]) (chicken rice: rice pan-fried with ketchup and chicken) wrapped in a thin sheet of fried scrambled eggs. The ingredients flavoring the rice vary. Often, the rice is fried with various meats (but typically chicken) or vegetables, and can be flavored with beef stock, [[ketchup]], [[demi-glace]], white sauce or simply salt and pepper. Sometimes, rice is replaced with fried noodles ([[yakisoba]]) to make ''omusoba.'' A variant in [[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]] is ''omutako'', consisting of an omelet over [[taco rice]]. Fried hot dog and [[Spam (food)|Spam]] are also two popular meats to include in the dish.

[[Volga rice]] is another variation, albeit topped with crumb-covered pork cutlet and the whole dish is covered in rich sauce.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wow-u.jp/media/food/kamisho-satoimo_fukui|title=Japanese traditional recipes with "Kamisho Satoimo" from Fukui|website=WOW U-media|accessdate=Jul 19, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://kyoudo-ryouri.com/en/food/2685.html|title=Volga Rice - 【郷土料理ものがたり】|website=kyoudo-ryouri.com|access-date=Jul 19, 2019}}</ref>

{{Gallery
|mode=packed
|noborder = yes
|height=120
|File:Omurice restaurant 2 by alainkun in Tokyo.jpg|Models of various omurice dishes
|File:Detalle del omirmasu.jpg|On the inside
|File:Omuraisu demigurasu.jpg|Omurice with demi-glace sauce.
|File:Omurice making, -Jul. 2012 a.ogv|Video of the preparation of an omurice dish
|File:Omurice-inshop-okayama-japan-2019-08-14.webm|Video of cutting open an omurice
}}

==Similar dishes==
[[File:Nasi goreng Pattaya.JPG|thumb|right|Indonesian version of ''nasi goreng pattaya'' in [[Pekanbaru]], Sumatra]]  
A similar dish exists in [[Southeast Asia]], especially in [[Malaysia]], [[Indonesia]] and [[Singapore]], and is called ''[[nasi goreng pattaya]]''. It is a fried rice dish, covering chicken fried rice in thin [[fried egg]] or [[omelet]].

==In popular culture==

A new kind of omurice was developed for the 1985 comedy film ''[[Tampopo]]'' in collaboration with Taimeiken, a famous restaurant in [[Nihonbashi]]. This version has the rice covered with a half-cooked omelet which is cut open to spread and cover the rice. This version has become so popular that it is the restaurant standard now. Home cooks typically cook a thin omelet completely and then place it over the seasoned rice and decorate it with ketchup.

Homestyle omurice is a frequent item on [[maid café]] menus since the addition of ketchup allows a maid to decorate the meal easily at the table as a form of service.

In the 2020s, clips of chefs preparing omurice often went viral on social media, leading to an increased international interest in the dish.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-01 |title=A Japanese comfort dish that's also a viral sensation |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/a-japanese-comfort-dish-thats-also-a-viral-sensation/yg5gkmzdt |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=SBS Food |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Joey Morona |first=cleveland com |date=2025-06-25 |title=I tried the TikTok-famous omurice at Kyuramen in Strongsville. Should you? |url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2025/06/i-tried-the-tiktok-famous-omurice-at-kyuramen-in-strongsville-should-you.html |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=cleveland |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Viral Kichi Kichi Omurice Chef Coming to Singapore |url=https://www.8days.sg/eatanddrink/newsandreviews/viral-kichi-kichi-omurice-singapore-tsukimi-hamburg-844041 |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=8days |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sula |first=Mike |date=2024-02-20 |title=The camera eats first when omurice comes to the table |url=http://chicagoreader.com/food/omurice-japanese-fried-rice-omelet-trend/ |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=Chicago Reader |language=en-US}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Food|Japan}}
* [[List of egg topics]]
* [[List of brunch foods]]
* [[List of Japanese foods]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Omurice}}
* JunsKitchen. "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeeTvatu6fk Fluffy Omurice (Japanese Omelet Rice)]", [[YouTube|YouTube.com]]
* Setsuko Yoshizuka. "[http://japanesefood.about.com/od/rice/r/omurice.htm Omu Rice]", [[About.com|JapaneseFood.About.com]]

{{Japanese food and drink|state=autocollapse}}
{{Japan topics}}
{{Culture of Asia}}
{{Eggs}}
{{Rice dishes}}
{{Omelettes}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Fried rice]]
[[Category:Japanese rice dishes]]
[[Category:Korean rice dishes]]
[[Category:Omelettes]]
[[Category:Wasei-eigo]]
[[Category:Japanese egg dishes]]