Chinese Tea Eggs, An Authentic Recipe
User Reviews
4.7
Chinese Tea Eggs, An Authentic Recipe
Description
The recipe for Chinese Tea Eggs starts by bringing eggs to room temperature before boiling them until just set. Once cooled in an ice bath, the egg shells are gently cracked to create a marbled effect once soaked. The marinating liquid combines light and dark soy sauce with black tea leaves and a fragrant mix of spices including ginger, star anise, cinnamon, and Sichuan peppercorns, along with Shaoxing wine, sugar, salt, and water to submerge all the eggs.
After simmering the spice mixture briefly and cooling it, the cracked eggs are placed back into the liquid to steep, allowing the flavors to gradually penetrate the eggs and the pattern to develop on the whites. This method yields hard-cooked eggs with a savory, subtly spiced taste and an appealing appearance that reflects the complex braising liquid.
Tea eggs can be eaten cold or reheated and are a popular snack or side dish in Chinese cuisine. They store well in the marinade for extended flavor enhancement and make convenient protein-rich snack options.
The recipe yields a dozen eggs, suitable for sharing or storing for later use. An extended steeping time intensifies the flavor and darkens the marbled patterns.
Ingredients
- 12 egg
- 2 lices ginger
- 3 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons black tea leaves
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce light
- 4 teaspoons dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 4-5 cups water (enough so all eggs are submerged)
Instructions
- Bring the eggs to room temperature by leaving them out of refrigerator for a couple hours.
- In the meantime, prepare the sauce base by adding the rest of the ingredients to a medium pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, and the turn the heat down to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Then turn off the heat, open the lid, set it aside, and let it cool completely.
- Bring another pot of water to a boil for the eggs. Once boiling, gently and quickly lower the eggs into the boiling water using a large spoon. You want to avoid dropping them and cracking them on the bottom of the pot. Let the eggs cook in the boiling water for 7 minutes (it’s a good idea to set a timer). Once the timer goes off, turn off the heat, quickly scoop out the eggs, and transfer to an ice bath. Allow them to sit in the ice bath until they are completely cool to the touch. The purpose here is to stop cooking the eggs any further.
- Once the eggs are cooled, lightly crack the egg shells. The goal here is to make enough cracks to allow the flavor of the sauce base to seep into the egg. I like to use a small spoon to tap the eggs, but be careful! It you tap or crack too hard, you might crack open the egg since the egg yolk is still very soft.
- Soak the cracked eggs in your sauce base for 24 hours in the refrigerator, making sure all the eggs are completely submerged in the sauce base. After 24 hours, they’re ready! You can also soak them longer for a stronger flavor. These eggs last for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
- This recipe makes 12 eggs, which can be kept in the marinade refrigerated for several days to deepen flavor.
- Cracking the shells gently without removing them creates the signature marbled appearance after soaking.
- Tea eggs can be served warm or cold as a snack or accompaniment to rice and other dishes.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 74 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 74kcal | 4% |
| Carbohydrates | 2g | 1% |
| Protein | 6g | 12% |
| Fat | 4g | 6% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 164mg | 55% |
| Sodium | 821mg | 34% |
| Potassium | 83mg | 2% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 240IU | 5% |
| Calcium | 36mg | 4% |
| Iron | 1.1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
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