A slightly sweetened tamagoyaki (rolled omelet) is indispensable to a Japanese bento box lunch.

There's just something that’s so comforting about the savory yet slightly sweet egg. The air trapped between its rolled layers makes the omelet tender even when it's fully cooked through, and it’s great to eat alongside rice, paired with bread, as a sandwich filling or simply on its own.

Preparing tamagoyaki is also pretty simple, making it one of the first elements those new to making bento lunches are able to master. The recipe that follows won’t give you the perfect-looking specimens served at restaurants across Japan, but they’ll do fine for dinner at home.