Fingers crossed this dashimaki doesn’t end up looking as old as the machine that sold it.

Our Japanese-language reporter Mr Sato likes to think of canned products as secret treasure boxes, with the contents totally concealed until you open the lid for the big reveal.

So whenever he spots a new can he hasn’t tried, it twinkles out of the corner of his eye, drawing him towards it like an irresistible beacon, no matter what’s inside it. That’s what happened the other day when he was passing an old vending machine in Tokyo’s Inokashira Park that was stocked with unusual items like canned bread and canned crickets.

Being a well-seasoned can connoisseur, Mr Sato had already tried these unusual canned products, but as always, the one he hadn’t tried before twinkled before his eyes, and it was labelled “dashimaki“.

Dashimaki is Japanese rolled omelette, commonly served at restaurants and izakaya taverns, so Mr Sato was keen to find out how a substantial dish like this would fit into a can. He immediately purchased one and took it home, and when he reached for the tab to open it, his heart was pounding with excitement.

▼ Are you ready for the big reveal?

▼ Ta daaa! Treasure!!!

The treasure here was two slices of dashimaki, lying face-up to reveal their beautifully rolled omelette layers. As Mr Sato lifted them out and onto a plate, he was thrilled to discover there was even more treasure waiting for him inside.

▼ Two more omelette rolls!

Wow, so that’s how they fit the long omelette roll into such a tiny can! Impressed by the smart packaging skills involved, Mr Sato was now curious to find out if the flavour of the omelette displayed a similar sense of expertise.

▼ Each omelette is hand packed into its can.

Taking another look at the meal he was about to devour, Mr Sato was pleased to find the dashimaki retained plenty of dashi (soup stock), which was sure to add flavour to the mix. The delicate layers promised to create a light and easy-to-eat texture as well.

Taking a bite, Mr Sato’s taste buds were immediately flooded with the delicious taste of the soup stock that oozed out from the inside of the omelette. It had an elegant, refined flavour, thanks to the Kyoto-style soup stock that’s used, which gave it the quality of an omelette you’d enjoy at a Japanese restaurant.

The quality was so high that Mr Sato believes you wouldn’t be able to pick it out as a canned product in a blind tasting. And given the amount of canned food Mr Sato has tried over the years, that’s certainly saying something. 

For 550 yen (US$4.23), this is a great, fun way to try dashimaki, and if you have a bowl of rice handy, you can easily turn it into a tasty meal. Don’t forget to finish it off with a can of hot ramen broth to really complete the experience!

Related: CB・HAND
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