Taiwanese Tea Eggs
Taking jammy eggs to the next level
Taiwanese Tea Eggs Recipe
makes 8 eggs
Ingredients
3 tbsp black bean soy sauce
2 tbsp black bean soy paste
2 tbsp shao hsing wine
2 bay leaves
2 star anise
1 small cinnamon stick
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
2 slices ginger
2 oolong tea bags or 2 tbsp tea leaves²
(Optional) ½ tsp five spice powder
1 ½ cups water
8 large eggs
Directions
Mix all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Then, turn to medium-low heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, and then remove from heat and let cool. After completely cooled, remove and discard the tea bags.
Poke a small hole in the bottom (larger end) of each egg with a pushpin.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, with the pot covered. A larger pot is important so that when the eggs go in, the temperature won’t drop too drastically, and the water will quickly come back to boil. Make sure that there is enough water to submerge all the eggs. When the water comes to a boil, turn to medium heat. Gently lower the eggs into the water using a slotted spoon, to prevent the eggs from cracking. Simmer 6 minutes and 15 seconds for soft-boiled eggs, 8 minutes for medium-boiled eggs, or 9½ to 10 minutes for hard-boiled eggs. The times might need to be adjusted depending on the size of the eggs and how many are cooking.
Prepare an ice bath by combining ice and cold tap water in a big bowl to shock the eggs. Once the eggs are cooked, immediately transfer them to the ice bath to cool for 2 to 3 minutes. If you don’t have ice on hand, run cold tap water over the eggs for a couple minutes until they cool down.
After the eggs have cooled completely, about 15 minutes, carefully peel¹ the eggs and transfer them to a quart-size ziplock bag. Pour in the seasoning liquid and marinate overnight.
The eggs can be stored in the marinade for 3 or 4 days in the fridge.
Notes
1. Traditional tea eggs are marinated with gently cracked eggshells still on, allowing the marinade to seep in slowly and impart a marbled look to the eggs. I make these eggs to pair with lu rou fan (滷肉飯; Taiwanese braised pork over rice) or rou zhao mian (肉燥麵; minced pork over noodles), so I prefer a smooth color to the eggs; thus, I peel the eggs before marinating. Usually, most cooks simmer the eggs while braising meat sauce, resulting in a tasty, marinated hard-boiled egg, but I usually cook them separately because I prefer a medium-boiled egg and my husband prefers a soft-boiled egg.
2. Most recipes call for black tea, but you can use most teas; I like using oolong or green tea.
