How to make Chinese Tea Eggs

Tea egg is a type of soy sauce egg which is relatively a popular snack in the Chinese community. It can also be added to medicinal herbs to boost its health-properties too.

It is an easy yet convenient way of preparation. Often it is also served as a nutritious snack or dessert. Brown and bruised which can be piled high in its tea broth, braising away for hours (sometimes days on end. Similarly, it is also emulating compared to where the Japanese do use such eggs for a ramen dish.

Ingredients:

3 eggs

0.67 slices ginger

1 Star Anise

0.33 cinnamon stick

0.67 bay leaves

0.67 tablespoons black tea leaves

0.33 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1.33 teaspoon sugar

0.67 teaspoons salt

0.67 tablespoons Shaoxing wine

2.33 cups water (to ensure that all eggs are submerged)

Note: For the sauce base, you can try getting a packet of the five-spice powder from Yue Hwa Products store to save time in finding the separate ingredients (one by one).

Recipe:

1) Bring the eggs to room temperature by leaving them out of the fridge for a couple of hours.

2) Meanwhile prepare the sauce base by adding the ingredients into a medium pot. Bring the mixture to a boil and then the heat down to a simmer. Cover the pot and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, open the lid, set it aside and let it cool completely.

3) Bring another pot of water to boil for the eggs. Once it starts to boil, lower the eggs into the boiling water by using a large spoon. Let the eggs cook in the boiling water for 7 minutes (best to set a timer). When the time is up, turn off the heat, quickly scoop out the eggs and transfer them to an ice bath. Allow them to sit in the cool to the touch.

4) Once the eggs are cooled, lightly crack the egg shells. The main purpose is to make enough cracks to allow the flavor of the sauce base to seep into the egg. Do use a small spoon to tap the eggs .

5) Soak the cracked eggs in your sauce base for 24 hours in the fridge to make sure all the eggs are completely submerged in it. They are ready to be served after 24 hours. For a stronger flavor, they can be soaked for a longer time. And yes, these eggs can last at least 3 to 4 days in the fridge.

The End Result