Why It Works
- Utilizing high-quality free leaf tea produces a flavorful marinade for the eggs.
- Tapping the eggshells firmly creates well-defined cracks, giving the eggs their distinct marbled look after they’ve marinated.
In Singapore, the place I grew up, there was a tea egg stall subsequent to the practice station close to my house, and the intoxicating odor of soy sauce, tea leaves, and heat spices typically enticed me to purchase an egg for the stroll house. The snack—which consists of hard-boiled eggs which are usually marinated in a aromatic combination of soy sauce, tea, and heat spices like cassia bark or cinnamon, cloves, and star anise—is widespread in lots of elements of Asia, together with Taiwan and Hong Kong. After the eggs cook dinner, individuals faucet the shells with a spoon to kind a superb internet of hairline cracks that enable the liquid to seep by, producing the egg’s signature marbled look when peeled.
Most culinary historians imagine that tea eggs originated in China, the place legend has it that throughout the Qing dynasty, individuals boiled eggs in a pot of tea for comfort—why make tea and eggs in separate pots when you might make them collectively in the identical pot? As tea-boiled eggs turned extra widespread, those that couldn’t afford costly tea leaves made up for utilizing low-quality tea leaves by infusing the tea leaves right into a grasp inventory or braising liquid fairly than water.
I now stay within the Netherlands, the place there are not any tea eggs to be discovered until you make them your self. Fortunately for me, they’re straightforward to make—and with my recipe under, you possibly can recreate this traditional snack at house.
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The Greatest Tea to Use for the Marinade
The steeping liquid for the eggs usually consists of free leaf oolong tea, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and spices, although the precise mixture used varies from place to put and cook dinner to cook dinner. As a result of tea is probably the most dominant taste right here, utilizing high-quality loose-leaf tea—which is extra sturdy and nuanced than most bagged teas—is important. The kind of tea can differ: many tea egg traditionalists advocate black tea, oolong is usually utilized in Taiwan, and a few desire jasmine tea for its floral profile. Pu-erh is a good alternative if you wish to use black tea, and I’ve used each Tie Guan Yin, an oolong tea, and Xiang Pian, a aromatic combination of inexperienced tea leaves and jasmine blossoms. Each labored effectively: The Tie Guan Yin eggs have been subtly smoky, whereas the Xiang Pian eggs had delicate floral notes. Finally, you should use whichever tea that you simply like; what issues greater than the form of tea you utilize is its high quality. Whereas some imagine that the kind of tea impacts the color of the tea eggs (the darker the tea, the darker the eggs), its impact on the colour of the eggs is pretty minimal; fairly, how a lot soy sauce you utilize within the marinade is a extra vital issue.
Find out how to Obtain the Signature Marbled Look
I exploit a mix of sunshine and darkish Chinese language soy sauces within the marinating liquid, each as a result of the darkish soy sauce offers the eggs a darker hue and since they’ve completely different taste profiles, so utilizing them each offers the eggs a extra nuanced taste. Should you don’t have darkish soy sauce, although, you might simply use mild soy sauce. I do advocate utilizing Chinese language or Chinese language-style soy sauce for each the darkish and light-weight soy sauces since their flavors are completely different from different soy sauces, equivalent to Japanese ones.
To present the eggs their distinct marbled look, it’s important to create well-defined cracks that can enable the liquid to seep by. In my expertise, one of the best ways to do that is by utilizing the again of a spoon to rigorously crack the eggs throughout. You don’t wish to apply a lot strain that enormous areas kind between the shell and the egg (this produces patches of darkish brown fairly than the specified mottled impact), however you do need well-defined cracks for the liquid to seep by. Whereas some imagine that tea eggs must be boiled within the marinade to completely infuse it with taste and shade, I’ve discovered that steeping it within the marinade for not less than 24 hours achieves the identical impact.
Making a batch of those eggs takes me straight again to my childhood. I can virtually hear the rumble of the trains.
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This Recipe for Candy and Savory Boiled Eggs Brings Me Again to My Childhood in Singapore
Prepare dinner Mode
(Hold display screen awake)
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2 cups (475 ml) Chinese language mild soy sauce
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1/4 cup (60 ml) darkish soy sauce
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6 cups (1.4 L) water
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1 cup mild brown sugar (7 1/2 ounces; 213 g)
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One 3-inch piece ginger (2 1/2 ounces; 70 g), lower into 1/4-inch segments
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One 3-inch piece galangal (1/2 ounce; 15 g), lower into 1/4-inch segments (see notes)
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2 teaspoons fennel seeds
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10 cloves
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6 star anise
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Two 3-inch items cassia bark, see notes
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1 1/2 ounces (40 g) free leaf tea, equivalent to tie guan yin, xiang pian or pu-erh, see notes
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12 giant eggs
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In a medium pot, mix mild soy sauce, darkish soy sauce, water, brown sugar, ginger, galangal, fennel seeds, cloves, star anise, and cassia bark. Deliver to a boil over medium-high warmth, stirring sometimes to dissolve sugar. Cut back warmth to low and simmer till deeply infused with the perfume of the spices and aromatics, about 20 minutes.
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Utilizing a fine-mesh sieve, pressure liquid right into a heatproof container or bowl. Add tea leaves and let steep till leaves unfurl and liquid is fragrant, about quarter-hour. (If utilizing black or oolong tea, add tea leaves instantly. If utilizing a extra delicate tea, equivalent to jasmine, let liquid cool barely to 158 to 176°F/70 to 80°C earlier than including tea.)
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In the meantime, arrange an ice bathtub by filling a big bowl with ice and water. Deliver a big pot of water to the boil. Utilizing a slotted spoon or strainer, gently decrease eggs into water and cook dinner to your required doneness: 6 minutes for soft-boiled, 7 minutes for jammy yolks, or 11 minutes for hard-boiled eggs. Utilizing slotted spoon or strainer, take away eggs and instantly place in ice bathtub. Permit eggs to chill for not less than quarter-hour.
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Utilizing the again of a spoon, firmly faucet eggshells throughout to kind outlined cracks. (There needs to be cracks however the eggshell ought to nonetheless be in a single piece.) Place eggs in tea combination, cowl with a lid or plastic wrap, and refrigerate till the eggs have developed a definite marbled look and are effectively seasoned, about 24 hours. Let eggs sit at room temperature for 10 minutes earlier than serving.
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Particular Tools
Medium pot, fine-mesh sieve, giant bowl, slotted spoon or strainer, giant pot
Notes
Gentle soy sauce might be substituted for darkish soy sauce within the recipe, although the tea eggs could have a much less complicated taste.
If galangal is unavailable, you possibly can put together the tea eggs with out it, however they could be much less complicated in taste.
If cassia bark is unavailable, cinnamon sticks can be utilized as an alternative.
Make-Forward and Storage
Tea eggs might be refrigerated of their marinating liquid in an hermetic container for as much as 3 days; they are going to develop into darker and extra flavorful the longer they sit. Let eggs come to room temperature for 10 minutes earlier than serving.