Hot springs

Mark Bittman's weekly features on David Chang of Momofuku have been fun to read, but this article doesn't mention what I think is the coolest thing about onsen tamago.  Tamago is egg (remember Tamagotchi?) and onsen are Japanese hot springs.  Bathing in the hot springs is a highly revered and cherished Japanese pastime/ritual with therapeutic benefits.  Onsen tamago were made by putting eggs in the hot springs (which are the optimal low heat temp) for a long time.  I love the image; it reminds me of that saying, "It's so hot today, you could fry an egg on the sidewalk."