Print

Street-style Chinese tea eggs.

Print Recipe

These are easily doubled or tripled to your liking — they’re made in huge pots in China, and I’ve made up to 24 in the past. To store, simply leave them in the broth, refrigerated, for up to 5 days. The flavor will only continue to develop, which I personally love. If you’re concerned that the eggs may become too salty after steeping for so long, however, you might want to dilute the broth with water before storing.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 eggs

  • 3–4 tbsp soy sauce
  • 
1 tsp salt

  • 1 tbsp black tea leaves or 1 tea bag
  • 4 pieces star anise

  • 1 small stick cinnamon or 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2–3 strips dried orange, mandarin, or tangerine peel
  • 1 tsp cracked peppercorns (optional; I used about 1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper instead)
  • 1 tsp sugar (optional)

Instructions

  1. Place unshelled eggs in pot of cold water, enough that the eggs are covered by about an inch. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 2 minutes.
  2. Rinse the eggs with cold water. One by one, take each egg and tap it gently with the blunt end of a knife or the back of a spoon until the entire surface is lightly cracked. If small pieces flake off, don’t worry, but do try to keep the shell intact over the egg.
  3. Return the eggs to the pot and refill with water. I just fill enough to barely cover the eggs, but for the sake of precision, it should be about 1.5 to 2 cups of water. Add the rest of the ingredients — soy sauce, salt, tea, star anise, cinnamon, orange peel, pepper, and sugar if using, and give it a good stir.
  4. Bring the mixture back to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 2-3 hours. I like to do 3 hours if I have the time, and I also like to do it uncovered. That evaporates the water fairly quickly, though, which means you need to add water as it depletes. But I think that gives it a better flavor at the end, and firmer eggs. If you like softer eggs, cover the pot as it simmers. Be warned that these eggs are never the soft, bright yellow yolk eggs you get from hard-boiling for just a few minutes. They often have that greenish tinge that I’ve learned some people abhor — it’s only natural because they cook for much longer.

Notes

As noted above, you can let the eggs steep in the tea broth overnight in the fridge for a stronger flavor. You can also freeze the broth and reuse it. I’ve never done that but I’m told that it’s a good idea.

Also, you may want to taste the broth a few times, once after you’ve added everything and once every hour or so. It should start out quite flavorful already, in order to infuse the eggs through the shell. Still, note the broth will also cook down somewhat and become saltier as it continues to simmer.

Finally, if you’re game for a challenge, check out these tea smoked deviled tea eggs by the ever-creative Princess Tofu — a twist on a classic.

Find it online: https://tworedbowls.com/2014/01/21/tea-eggs/