Chinese tea eggs are steeped in a tea-infused liquid, resulting in a delicious snack or side dish that is marbled and flavourful.
The eggs are first hard-boiled, then the shells are cracked before the eggs are simmered further in the tea mixture to give it that pretty, glazed look. If appearances are not important to you, you may leave the eggs intact in the tea mixture and only crack the eggs when you are ready to eat them.
Give this recipe a try, and make a big batch for your entire family to enjoy.
Ingredients
- 12 eggs
- 1l water
- 6 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons Chinese tea leaves
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1 star anise
- 3 cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Method
- Add the water to a medium pot and gently drop in the eggs, making sure they are covered.
- Bring the water to boil on high heat, cooking the eggs for around 10 minutes.
- Remove the hard-boiled eggs and rinse them with cold water. Using the back of a teaspoon, gently tap the eggs to crack the shell.
- Return the eggs to the water and add the remaining ingredients. Bring the tea mixture to a boil and turn the heat to low.
- Simmer for at least one hour – the longer the simmering, the better the taste. Add more water if needed.
- Serve immediately or leave the eggs in the mixture overnight to further develop the colour and flavour.
Tips
- When serving, you can dip the eggs in a little soy sauce, but they are flavourful without any additional condiments.
- If you don’t have Chinese tea leaves, you can use black tea or regular tea bags.
This recipe can be found in Rasa Malaysia.
Low Bee Yinn is a food blogger and cookbook author.