Hasta La Gadget!

Ever been surfing the net and wanted to tuck into some delicious rice? Now you can, kind of.

Condiments maker Ajinomoto has a new website, Neo Tamago Kake Gohan, in which users can log on and enjoy a virtual meal using the company’s trademarked Aji-no-moto MSG umami. For those who don’t know, tamago kake gohan (卵かけご飯) is a simple but nourishing dish consisting of beaten raw egg over steamed rice with soy sauce.

We all know the Japanese are fussy about food, so, not unsurprisingly, users can even customize their “meal”. Do you want a full bowl or just half? Tons of soy sauce or just a splash? You can make your own recipe, all set to dramatic music!

This kind of content revels in food and the process of eating, an activity which, any glance at Japanese TV tells you, really appeals to the local consumer. You get to experience a demonstration of how to make the dish, as well as of course seeing how Ajinomoto’s product looks like up close.

Ajinomoto is an old company established in 1925 and has been producing the same kinds of products for decades, but this kind of web campaign shows they can be “futuristic” and take digital tools seriously too. (However, surely it would have been more savvy if they had made a whole separate website, rather than a subdomain of the regular site?) There are also blog parts (see below!) that show the world your ideal tamago kake gohan recipe.