Do you like the 'tea eggs' they sell in 7-11 convenience stores in Taiwan? As usual if you can’t find a Taiwanese style spice bag then use: 5 star anise, a teaspoon of red pepper corns, half a teaspoon of cloves, a cinnamon stick, three bayleaves, three cardamom pods – all in a cotton bag. This lets the flavour soak into the egg while leaving a particularly beautiful spider-web pattern of dark lines. Light soy sauce is almost never labeled as such, but you can generally assume that any Chinese all-purpose soy sauce is or can be used as light soy sauce. You are so happy. So interesting–I love how they look! Taiwanese people have a special fondness for Japanese food anyway, so I figure it's a good crossover to try out. Cool. Ginger - Simple, fresh ginger is all that's needed here. Hard-boiled eggs are the standard, and these are often hard-boiled to the point where the yolk is very dry and a bit greenish. I've seen many recipes that recommend doing this with a knife, but that's a lot more likely to break the white and lodge little pieces of shell in the egg. Thank you for such a comprehensive and informative tutorial. Eggs are braised with spices and Chinese teas thus have a unique and strong tea flavor. Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove from heat. Wow, looks so good. What a neat recipe! The name has nothing to do with calories or salt, and simply references the comparatively lighter colour of the soy sauce. Totally new to me and would love to try this recipe. See the note below about the doneness of the eggs, as you can make some adjustments based on personal tastes here. Simply hold the spoon and gently whack the shell all over, rotating it in your hand in order to cover the shell. Note that if you've made the softer boiled eggs described in the steps above that you'll need to take extra care not to hit or squeeze the eggs too hard, as they'll break more easily than a truly hard-boiled egg. Fennel Seeds - A fairly familiar ingredient, fennel is sometimes forgotten next to the bold and edgy flavour of star anise (which is completely unrelated, despite the name). I like your tips on making the eggs, too. Do not substitute dried ginger, stem ginger, or candied ginger. Then you must try and make these at home – perfect, delicious and 100% natural ingredients. This isn't the typical method of preparation used to tea eggs, but I personally think it yields a tastier boiled egg in general (plus it avoids that chalky, greenish-yellow yolk that you get in over-boiled eggs). Please join us on Facebook and you will hear about our new recipes and videos first! I’ve eaten tea eggs, but never made them! Eggs on the go: Taiwanese tea eggs You won't have to go to Taiwan to get these hard-boiled eggs perfumed with jasmine tea and soy sauce. Egg Doneness - this recipe uses a Japanese-style cooking method that yields a medium-set yolk typical of the eggs served along with ramen. A tea egg is, essentially, a hard-boiled egg that is lightly cracked all over and then cooked a second time in a broth made of tea, soy sauce, five-spice powder or any of a variety of other seasonings. A simple and delicious classic, boiled eggs with a velvety yolk are marinated in tea and Chinese spices to make an unforgettable and distinctive snack or side. not a green tea) works best. Not only is it a wonderfully simple and amazingly delicious recipe, it's also the first of a series of egg-based recipes that I'm going to be developing this year. After the eggs are cold, you can either remove the shell or knock the egg lightly with a metal spoon to create numerous cracks without removing the shell. Hold the spoon by the end of the handle. The spice blend and tea choice varies quite a bit, but the general flavour profile is built around the classic Chinese five-spice mixture (anise, cassia, cloves, Sichuan peppercorn, and star anise). Awesome recipe and fantastic pictures as always Sean! I like to batch-cook tea eggs … My husband just walked by and saw your photos and asked if Id be making these eggs. Stay tuned for more Taiwanese gardening, shopping, advice and cooking! And they are commonly served with noodles, breakfast or steamed rice. The shells of a duck egg are more porous, making them wonderful for brining, pickling, curing and preserving. It's a perfect snack or potluck dish to make ahead of time. We love tea eggs, I have to admit (embarrassingly) that I used store-bought spice in satchet :(. I’ve always wondered about that. It's pretty straightforward, but there are a couple of tricks to keep in mind to get the best results here: As is so often the case with these things, after I'd started planning I discovered that another great blogger has also tackled the idea of making 'medium-boiled' tea eggs. I love hardboiled eggs, but I’ve never tried anything like this. Whisk in the glutinous rice flour, remove from heat, and set aside to cool. Using dark soy sauce alongside light soy sauce not only gives beautiful colour to Chinese dishes, it keeps them from ending up harsh-tasting and overly salty. Tea eggs are the food of the people in Taiwan.They penetrate tourist attractions, highway rest areas, and even the thousands of supermarkets here. Chinese Tea Eggs Cooked in a flavorful marinade of soy sauce, star anise, and cinnamon, these tea-stained eggs are a Lunar New Year staple and a favorite everyday snack in China. If you can't find a good loose-leaf oolong tea, you can try using 3 tea bags, or substituting a mix of black and green tea. It has a unique flavour somewhere between lemon and pine, but what really makes it interesting is the 'numbing' effect it has on the tongue and lips. This is actually a real tasty treat but, at first, a bit hard to stomach the thought and site. Basically, it’s a hard boiled egg, that has been simmered or steeped in a savory broth (flavored with the spices that make up Chinese 5 spice powder, soy sauce, and sometimes tea). I especially like the one of you holding the cracked egg. I love the marbled look and I’m sure those spices are incredible in the egg! It’s right, when they cook, this is like “7 Eleven” ! It is not a preserved thousand year old egg. I have been on such an egg kick recently, because you know, trying to eat a lot of protein and not so many carbs so this is coming right at the perfect time. Sean, your detailed descriptions of everything from cooking the eggs, to the varieties of tea and individual spices and soy sauces is publisher-worthy — and like Amanda said before, your photography is gorgeous. It doesn't even need to be peeled - just sliced into relatively thin sections. It’s so informative, but also so personable! A trip to an Asian grocery store (or a well-stocked conventional grocery store) should yield all of these ingredients quite easily, and at very reasonable prices. You have completely inspired me to follow along with your post and do so. No pantry pages have been written yet for any of the ingredients in this recipe. It's tempting to think that dark soy sauce would be more intensely flavoured, but the opposite is true. I can imagine the flavors being pretty damn incredible. The cooking method is pretty ingenious, as these eggs turn out flavorful yet soft in the middle. Ideally, century eggs are made by storing raw eggs for a few months in a mixture of wood ash, salt, lime, and maybe tea with rice straw or clay. Some people quite like green or jasmine teas with these eggs, though I personally find that they don't stand out against the powerful spices quite as much. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Fortunately, this recipe is a really easy one to get started with, as the spices are left whole and no complicated cooking techniques are used. Not only does Taiwan perfect so many unique traditional dishes, but they might also be the only country with a “standard” 4 (yes, FOUR) meals a day.. They are so fun and pretty! All opinions are my own. In addition to the essential five-spice ingredients listed above, this recipe also uses several other wonderful ingredients that are worth learning a little more about. The other two are green (wasabi) and red (hot chili). Tea egg (茶葉蛋, or marble egg) is a common Chinese snack food, found easily at convenience stores, restaurants, night markets, and in kitchens across Taiwan. The flavors look great. Turn the heat down so that the mixture is at a low simmer and reduce the sauce by about half. Don’t worry. Duck eggs are used frequently in East Asia, and are commonplace in the cuisines of countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam, China and Malaysia. It remenber me my vacation in Taïwan, a so beautyful country ! I used loose-leaf tea here, but you could use a good bagged tea instead. When mandarins are in season, I like to keep a few really nice peels and dry them out for use in Chinese recipes. a cutting board). I love Chinese food in general, but Taiwanese food has become my 'adopted' home cuisine. I can make something that is a completely different take on what Ive been doing…. Tea eggs (茶葉雞蛋) are simple things really - hard-boiled eggs, steeped in a marinade made with tea, soy sauce, and a variety of spices. Cooks preserve duck, chicken or quail eggs in a mixture of clay, salt, lime, ash, and rice straw for several weeks to … Chinese Tea Egg is a famous Chinese street food which is also known as marbled egg. The idea is to crack the shell of the cooked egg evenly so that the tea and spice marinade can get through to the white beneath. Probably the best way to enjoy hard boiled eggs! And we also have another interesting version: tea leaf eggs or marbled eggs. You'll want to use whole cloves here - and frankly, once you start using them, you might not go back to pre-ground. If you're relatively new to Chinese cooking, some of these ingredients might be less familiar to you. Given that the spices are fairly strong and bold, I personally think that a bolder tea (i.e. Gingerly place the eggs in the pot (ensuring that they're covered with water). They even sell it in 7-11 convenient stores. The eggs are gently added to just-simmering water, then cooked for about 8 minutes. Cheers mate . It took me a long time to give those a try….somehow I don’t think it will take that long to try these. OMG… your tea eggs are beautiful. I’ve never heard of these before! Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, then reduce heat to a very low simmer. Cloves - While this ingredient is quite familiar to most Western cooks, many people rely on pre-ground cloves. To each their own, and feel free to experiment. Aim for a relatively even distribution of cracks, without overdoing it in any one spot. I also love that you got some learnin’ done via The Woks of Life. Bring to a boil. Kindly has earned a good reputation in many countries, including USA, Canada and Japan. If they didn’t make such a great afternoon snack — with their subtle savory flavor and satisfyingly firm texture — I might be tempted to just admire them from afar. You captured tea eggs so beautifully. This ultimate Taiwan food guide will be the only thing you need to keep you and your stomach covered in Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung. It's considered a vital ingredient for adding a deep reddish brown colour to many Chinese dishes. If you do use this method, be sure to remove all of the eggs once you're happy with the flavour, as they'll continue to soak up the marinade and become stronger tasting if left much longer. Alternately, you can substitute a black or a green tea of your choice. As for the tea, I've used quintessentially Taiwanese oolong tea. They're a popular snack in much of China, but they're particularly connected to Taiwan in my mind. Taiwanese food holds a special place in my heart. Check out our duck egg tea cup selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. That being said, follow your instincts. Rock Sugar - Not a spice per se, but worth mentioning here. For best results, cool the cooked eggs just long enough to let you handle them comfortably, then gently hold each one in the palm of your hand and lightly tap it all over with the backside of a spoon (see the picture above). Unlike light soy sauces, Chinese dark soy sauces are generally labeled as such. Chinese marbled tea eggs are almost too pretty to eat. Taiwanese oolong is fairly popular, and can be found at many tea shops. Chinese tea eggs galore—goose eggs, duck eggs, chicken eggs… If there is one food item that one can find just about anywhere in Taiwan, it would be the Chinese tea eggs. Nerd, I know 8), Thank you for so much information about how to prepare these eggs but also the history and all the spices used! Light soy sauce is what most people think of as 'regular' Chinese soy sauce. Although, I am not a fan of anise and all those black licorice flavours. I’ve never made (or even tried) tea eggs before. I am in Tainan right now. Thanks for recommending them! http://uneaiguilledanslpotage.blogspot.fr/2016/10/ufs-marbres-au-et-cinq-epices.html#more. My wife is the master of those delicious and just-set Japanese eggs around our house (and the master of ramen for that matter), so I turned to her for advice on getting these just right. While you're not likely to find them at the corner stores in North America any time soon, they are delightfully easy to make at home. Black Cardamom - NOT the same as green cardamom, and definitely not interchangeable with it. I’ve been perusing their site a lot for the next part of my East series, which is actually China! Crispy kimchi pork rice 泡菜鍋巴飯 Taiwanese style, Make your own dumpling pastry 水餃皮 for Chinese dumplings, Home made tapioca pearls for bubble tea, bo-ba tea 自製波霸粉圓. The flavor is intense as a result of direct contact. And nice yolk! The cracked patterns from the broken shells make these quite attractive! If you are passing through the city, the deep fragrance of master stock would easily guide you to these edible gemstones sitting inside a … And tasty, too! They have a fab thing going on over on that site. A little goes a very long way. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Combine water, spice mix, soy sauces, ginger in a large pot (basically everything but the eggs and the tea). Gingerly … It yields a cooked, but not green-hued egg. The egg is prepared in the same way as traditional hard boiled eggs and eaten while still warm. … If you're short on time, you can peel the eggs and then add them to the marinade, then take them out after about 4 hours. Interestingly enough, some of these also find their way into certain five-spice blends (though the name doesn't change). deluxe yang chun noodles with soy sauce eggs In the bottle, this colour difference is subtle, but a small amount poured out in a spoon (for example) is noticeably lighter than dark soy sauce. Wow, these are amazing!! Top Tips For This Marbled Tea Egg Recipe. In Recipes by SeanJune 10, 201715 Comments. Here is ~~排骨飯 : http://taiwanduck.com/pigu-fan-taiwan-pork-chop/, here is the 滷蛋 video you are looking for: http://youtu.be/ATaX_Ju5ukY. If you remove the eggshell, the egg will contact the braising liquid fully, turning the egg to medium brown. My method for hard-boiled is to bring the pot with eggs and water to a full boil and let it cook for one minute before removing it from the heat and letting it sit for 10 minutes. Which leads me to this soft Chinese Tea Egg recipe. I've seen recipes that call for Jasmine tea, green tea, black tea, and even flavoured teas. They look so intimidating, but I see now, it’s not nearly as complex as I had made it out to be. Thanks a lot for this recipe ! Err on the side of caution. You can find this at any Asian grocery store, though I personally like to make my own. Note that there are also dark and light Japanese soy sauces. Please take a look below, it’s pretty easy. I love cooking with eggs in both sweet and savoury settings, and I'm really looking forward to exploring some rather international flavours. He’s a huge fan of the yolks being cooked in his hard boiled eggs just as you have shown….. This looks so cool! Recipe in two versions provided. One of my favorite dishes when I head back home; it combines hard-boiled eggs with the subtle flavor of anise and the deep brown hues of black tea and soy. Many of the spices used here are familiar in the West thanks to the popularity of Chinese five-spice powder. Taiwan Loves Food. Sean, first of all, your photos are absolutely stunning. I was looking to emulate the method that the Japanese use to boil eggs for ramen. Tea eggs, soy sauce eggs, marbled eggs: Whatever you choose to call them, they are a delicious twist on ordinary hard-boiled eggs. If you're well-versed with these eggs and with Taiwanese cooking, feel free to jump ahead to the recipe - but if you're looking for a bit more guidance in terms of technique and ingredients, keep reading below. If you can't find rock sugar, look for organic sugar, which is also (generally) made from crystallized sugar cane juice. Home made pork floss 自製肉鬆 Taiwan style Aug 20, 2016 How to make Braised rose chicken 玫瑰油雞 Jul 27, 2016 Home made tapioca pearls for bubble tea, bo-ba tea 自製波霸粉圓 Jul 23, 2016 How to make Egg Plant Salad 涼拌茄子 Jul 3, 2016 How to make Egg Noodles 油麵, Taiwan … xie xie! Cassia sold in Asian grocery stores is sometimes quite sheet-like, and not rolled into the familiar quills (see the photo above for example). I've also included some tips and tricks for better eggs, better flavour, and an optional but highly recommended sauce to finish things off. The shells are intentionally cracked all over, allowing the marinade to seep in slowly and leaving an attractive network of dark lines on the egg white. — Though to get those lush creamy insides you mentioned, I think I’d remove them after 8-9 minutes. You can batch-cook tea eggs and store them for later. I haven't made tea eggs with these myself, but if you are comfortable with buying and using them, you could certainly give it a whirl. I'm very excited to bring you this recipe. Taiwan’s food culture is their culture.If you’re a die-hard foodie like myself, this is the place to visit. 1. In the EU, cassia is supposed to be labeled properly. Combine 3/4 cup marinade, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, and 15 g (1 tbsp) sugar in a small saucepan. I will freely admit that these tea eggs start out with a departure from the more standard style of preparation that you'd find in Taiwan and mainland China. Cassia - There's a solid chance you already have cassia in your home, though it's probably labeled as cinnamon. My wife's family is from Taiwan, and dishes like this evoke distinct sense of comfort. More information tea leave eggs Yes, some of those ingredients are already in the recipe but that’s how to make this spice bag! No ingredient pages have been written yet for any of the ingredients in this recipe. Beautiful post. Both ingredients contribute a licorice-like anise flavour, but they differ enough to contribute a different character to the dishes in which they're used together. Black cardamom is intense, camphoric, and smoky. Return the eggs to the marinade and let them sit for another 12-36 hours. I decided to borrow the technique and did a little daring revamp on traditional Chinese tea eggs. 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