Tea eggs have long been a popular savory snack in China. The secret lies in the cracking of the egg shells and the steeping of the eggs in a soy sauce and black tea mixture with five-spice powder. You can purchase five-spice power from an Asian grocery store, online
Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 30 min
Marinate Time: 6 hours
Ingredients
- 12 eggs
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 4 tablespoon black tea leaves or 4 tea bags
- 1 1/2 tablespoon five-spice powder (including star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel seeds, and peppercorns)
- 2 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorn
- 2 teaspoon sugar
Directions
- Cover eggs with water in a pot, and bring to a boil.
- Turn the heat to medium low and cook for 4 minutes.
- Remove eggs using a slotted spoon, but keep the boiling water in the pot.
- Rinse the eggs with cold water.
- Once cooled, tap gently the egg shells with the back of a spoon until it is covered by cracks . (The more cracks, the richer the chestnut coloring and the more the marbling patterns the egg will have.)
- Return the cracked eggs to the pot.
- Add remaining ingredients into the pot and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let steep for at least 6 hours.
- Eat as a whole as snack or cut into smaller pieces as side dishes.
Tips
- Sichuan peppercorn is available in Chinese grocery stores or online spice specialty stores
.
It has a very unique flavor and is difficult to substitute. For each tablespoon of Szechuan peppercorns, you can try 2 teaspoon black peppercorns plus 1 teaspoon finely granted lemon zest for substitution. - Black tea is typically used for tea eggs, although you can explore any teas with flavors you like.
