Tea Eggs served with Woon Seamoss Seasoning and sesame seeds
Ancient legend has it that the first-ever Chinese tea egg was created by accident when an old egg seller’s grandson mistakenly hard-boiled some eggs in a pot of tea. The old man didn’t realize the pot was full of tea leaves, but when he ate the eggs, he found that they were absolutely delicious and began to sell them to the community.
Tea eggs are essentially boiled eggs infused with the flavors of Chinese tea, spices like star anise and Sichuan peppercorns, and soy sauce. My sister particularly loved them infused with chili and could eat up to four at a time, despite my mother’s protests and cries about high cholesterol. Today, variations of these eggs are sold all over China by street vendors, especially at breakfast time. They can also be found ready-to-eat at stores HMart and 99 Ranch, though we are going to show you how to make these delicious delicacies at home using our very own Woon Oolong Tea that you can find in our market.
-Janine
Yield: 6 eggs
Ingredients:
6 eggs
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tablespoons Woon Oolong Tea
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
2 cups water (or enough so that all eggs are submerged)
Optional Aromatics (for extra deliciousness):
2 slices of ginger
3 cloves of garlic
3 star anise
1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
Preparation:
Prepare a bowl of ice water.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a gentle boil and carefully lower the eggs into the water. For a jammy egg, boil for 7 minutes. For a hard egg, boil for 10 minutes.
Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water and let sit for 2 minutes. Remove eggs from the ice water and peel.
Meanwhile, add soy sauce, rice vinegar, Woon Oolong Tea, sugar, salt, water, and any optional aromatics to a pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer for 10 minutes, then remove from heat, set aside, and let it cool completely.
Soak the cracked eggs in the sauce base in an air-tight container for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator, though they are best enjoyed after 24 hours. Make sure all the eggs are completely submerged in the marinade, using a paper towel to help if needed.
These eggs last for 3-4 for days in the refrigerator and can be eaten in place of your regular intake of eggs. Cut them in half and add them on top of your instant ramen or avocado toast, sprinkle some Sea Moss Seasoning on them for a quick snack, or put a Chinese spin on your breakfast by having tea eggs instead of a fried egg.
Enjoy!