Two different sandwiches in one pack, but which one tastes better?
Compared to other parts of the world, Japan has only recently caught on to the demand for plant-based products, but now that companies are realising the power of soy as an alternative to ingredients like meat and eggs, they’re barrelling forth with all sorts of new products.
Now, convenience store chain Lawson is stepping forward with a new plant-based product that’s causing a buzz amongst customers, and they’re easing people into it by packaging it alongside its more traditional counterpart, calling it “Tabe Kurabe!” 2shu no Scramble” (“食べ比べ！２種のスクランブル”).
While the Japanese product name translates to “Taste and Compare! Two Types of Scrambled Egg“, it’s written out in English as “2 Types of Scrambled Eggs (One Plant-based)” on the packaging.
▼ The product is priced at 322 yen (US$2.29).
The new sandwich pack, which made its debut on 4 July, contains one scrambled egg sandwich that uses chicken eggs and another that contains a soy milk-based egg substitute. The combination is designed to appeal to regular egg eaters, who are being encouraged to compare the two varieties, so that’s exactly what we did, starting with a visual comparison.
The sandwich on the left paired chicken eggs with ham and lettuce, while the one on the right paired plant-based ‘eggs’ with potatoes, ham, cucumber, and onion. Comparing the look of the eggs themselves, the substitute version on the right was much paler in colour.
▼ For regular egg-eaters this pale hue might be a little off-putting but it shouldn’t discourage people from trying it, because what really matters is the taste.
Starting with the regular egg sandwich, it was simple yet delicious — the elegant, creamy flavour of the scrambled egg and the saltiness of the ham were a perfect match, while the lettuce added a nice crunchiness to the mix.
▼ Lawson is famous for its egg sandwiches, and this one displayed the same high quality we’ve come to expect from the chain.
▼ However…would the non-egg egg sandwich be able to live up to these expectations?
We had to admire the confidence of a chain who’s prepared to serve a real egg alongside a faux egg to its customers, but as soon as we bit into the faux version, we realised that cocky self-assuredness was warranted.
▼ This was absolutely delicious!
This sandwich totally exceeded our expectations, as it tasted like we were eating another egg sandwich, albeit with different fillings to the first. The taste of the eggs was so similar it was astounding, and we have no doubt that it’ll appeal to even the most seasoned of egg eaters.
It had the same thickness and sweetness as regular scrambled eggs, and we couldn’t detect any peculiar taste or scent to hint that these were made with soy. Plus, the cucumber and onion didn’t appear to be masking the flavour in any way, making for a well-balanced blend of ingredients.
▼ Lawson, you’ve done it again with your latest new product, or “新発売” (“shinhatsubai”), as new products are called in Japan.
In the end, we couldn’t decide which was better between the two, declaring them to be equally delicious. So whether you’re curious about plant-based eggs or simply love egg sandwiches, this new product is definitely worth trying, and they’ll taste even better if you’re able to eat them by the light of a Lawson desktop stand.
Related: Lawson
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[ Read in Japanese ]