Chinese Tea Eggs (茶叶蛋)
Around the World in 80 Eggs: day 39
If you're a fan of simple yet flavour-packed snacks, you need to try Chinese Tea Eggs. Commonly found in China and Taiwan, these beautiful marbled eggs are often sold in convenience stores and eaten on the go. You can smell their distinct fragrance from a mile away and I'd say they're truly irresistible.
Traditionally, they are hard-boiled, but I’ve tweaked the recipe slightly for a more modern take. In this version, the eggs are soft-boiled, giving them a creamy yolk texture that resembles a soy-cured ramen egg - but with a fragrant tea twist, adding a more complex flavour profile.
The cracked shells allow the tea, soy sauce, and spices to infuse into the eggs, creating stunning marbled patterns on the whites. The result? A snack that’s both beautiful and bursting with umami flavours. Perfect as a snack, with lunch, or as a side dish to rice or noodles.
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs
- 500ml water (about 2 cups)
- 4 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce (optional for a deeper colour)
- 2 black tea bags (or 2 tbsp loose leaf black tea)
- 1 star anise
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 Chinese cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
Pair it with
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Instructions
1. Boil the eggs. For the perfect soft-centred eggs, or firmer if you prefer, here's how I do it:
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, carefully lower the eggs into the pot using a slotted spoon. Set a timer for 6-7 minutes if you want runny yolks (perfect for that soft-boiled texture) or 8-9 minutes for slightly firmer, jammier yolks. 10+ minutes for a hard-boiled texture.
- While the eggs are boiling, prepare an ice bath (a bowl of cold water with ice cubes, or an ice pack to save on wasted ice!)
- As soon as the timer goes off, immediately transfer the eggs to the ice bath. Let them sit for at least 5 minutes to stop the cooking process.
2. Crack the eggs: Once the eggs are cool enough to handle, DO NOT PEEL THEM. Instead, gently tap them with the back of a spoon to crack the shells all over. Don't overthink it - just create enough cracks for the flavours to penetrate while keeping the eggs intact.
3. Make the marinade: In the same saucepan, combine 4 cups of water, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce (if using), tea bags, star anise, cinnamon stick, ginger slices, sugar, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. For more complex flavours, feel free to add dried tangerine peel or Sichuan peppercorns.
4. Submerge the eggs in broth: Carefully place the cracked eggs into a ziplock bag or container with lid. Pour the tea broth into the container and allow the eggs to marinate for at least 5-6 hours. For a more intense taste and marbling effect, leave the eggs in the broth overnight.
5. Enjoy: Once the eggs are infused with all those lovely flavours, remove them from the broth. Peel the eggs to reveal their beautiful marbled patterns. Serve warm or chilled - both options are equally delicious!
Notes:
- You can keep these for 3-4 days in the fridge, but the flavours will intensify over time. The consistency of the yolks will also become more jammy the longer they are marinated.
- They are great as a side dish, a snack on-the-go, or as a topping to noodle bowls.
Video demonstration
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