Perfectly marbled Chinese tea eggs seasoned with an eclectic array of tantalizing spices are the perfect healthy snack. There are limitless options to make this recipe your own.
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Background
In China, tea eggs are traditionally simmered in large vats, sometimes up to 8 hours, by street vendors or small eateries. They are often eaten as a quick snack or alongside meals. The vats sometimes have separators that separate the eggs that are ready to be sold from the ones still simmering and being infused with the spices. As tea eggs are plucked out and sold to customers, more are added to the simmering broth. The longer they simmer the deeper and more complex the flavor.
Due to the permeability of eggshells, and the acidity of the simmering broth, the seasonings infuse into the egg white and partially into the yolk. This keeps the eggs from feeling over cooked even though they are simmered much longer than a regular hard-boiled egg.
History of Tea Eggs
Tea eggs are thought to have originated in Zhejiang Province China, although they are prevalent throughout East and Southeast Asia. One of the first written records (year 1792) of tea eggs is from the Qing Dynasty Scholar, Yuan Mei, who recorded a recipe for tea eggs in the book The Way of Eating. You can find an English translation on Amazon.
Tea eggs are found throughout Chinese communities and Chinatowns throughout the world. While we cannot find tea eggs at street vendors or night markets in the U.S., we often buy tea eggs when we go to Chinese restaurants. We particularly like them served with a big bowl of steaming hot noodles such as our dan dan noodles (dan dan mian)!
Our tea egg recipe yields deeply marbled eggs seasoned with star anise, cassia bark (Chinese cinnamon ròu guì), orange peel, Sichuan pepper (hua jiao), Sichuan chili peppers, cloves, bay leaves, light and dark soy sauce, sugar, and salt. There are numerous variations of this recipe, so you can adapt yours depending on your taste preferences and what seasonings you have available.
Ingredients
Gather all ingredients before beginning.
- 8 medium to large eggs
- 2 heaping tablespoons of loose leaf tea, or 4-6 teabags of strong black tea
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons salt
- whole dried Sichuan chili peppers - purchase from your local Chinese market, The Mala Market, or on Amazon.
- Sichuan pepper (hua jiao) - these can be purchased on Amazon, or for the best quality, order from The Mala Market.
- 2 pieces of star anise
- ½ stick Chinese cinnamon (cassia)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 whole cloves
- .5 ounces rock sugar (regular sugar will work as well)
- Fresh or dried orange peel
Simplified ingredient list
We have seen recipes that only use tea, soy sauce, and salt to flavor the eggs. While we prefer the complex flavor of the spice combination above, if you do not have some of these spices don’t let it stop you from making tea eggs.
- 8 medium to large eggs
- 2 heaping tablespoons loose leaf tea, or 4-6 teabags of strong black tea
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
Place the uncooked eggs into a 2 quart or larger pot and add enough water to cover the eggs. Bring to a boil and cook for approximately 4 minutes.
Remove eggs from the pot and allow to cool to a temperature that allows you to handle the eggs without burning yourself. Use a heavy spoon (or other object) to tap the eggs on all sides creating cracks all over the egg. Be careful not to hit the eggs so hard that pieces break off – just enough to crack them. This is what will create the marbling effect.
Add the cracked eggs back into the pot and then add all your remaining ingredients. If needed add more water to ensure the eggs are covered. Cover and bring to a low simmer and cook for 1.5 hours. Remove from heat and let cool in the broth so they can continue absorbing the flavor. They can be eaten right away, or you can put in the refrigerator and eat when you are ready.
Hint: Add the broth to a small dish and dip the tea eggs in the broth (or use a spoon to pour some on the egg) when eating. The broth will be salty, so don’t add too much.
Cooking Time Variations
As mentioned in our introduction, tea eggs are sometimes simmered in the flavorful broth for up to 8 hours. If you have the time you can experiment with simmering your eggs for longer than the 1.5 hours in our recipe. An option for getting deeply infused and aromatic tea eggs that does not require multiple hours of simmering is to cook for 1.5 hours and then allow them to cool in the broth. Leave them in the broth and place in the refrigerator overnight.
Substitutions and Variations
- Tea – Any variety of tea can be used. We like the flavor of black teas such as Yunnan black tea or richer varieties of Keemun, but Oolong, Jasmine, or any other variety can be used. If using a lighter tea, increase the amount of tea used.
- Spices – increase or decrease the proportion of each spice depending on your taste preferences. Use our recipe as a starting point and then adjust to your liking. As we mentioned above, some recipes use only tea, soy sauce, and salt.
Storage
Store tea eggs in their broth in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. We think they are best eaten warm so feel free to warm them in their broth before eating.
📖 Recipe
Tea Eggs: Chinese Street-Style (chá yè dàn 茶叶蛋)
Ingredients
- 8 medium to large eggs
- 2 tablespoons loose leaf tea (heaping tablespoons) or 4-6 teabags of strong black tea
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2-3 whole dried Sichuan chili peppers
- ½ teaspoon Sichuan pepper hua jiao
- 2 pieces star anise
- ½ stick Chinese cinnamon cassia
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 whole cloves
- .5 ounces rock sugar regular sugar will work as well
- Fresh or dried orange peel
Instructions
- Place the uncooked eggs into a 2 quart or larger pot and add enough water to cover the eggs. Bring to a boil and cook for approximately 4 minutes.8 medium to large eggs
- Remove eggs from the pot and allow to cool to a temperature that allows you to handle the eggs without burning yourself. Use a heavy spoon (or other object) to tap the eggs on allsides creating cracks all over the egg. Be careful not to hit the eggs so hard that pieces break off – just enough to crack them. This is what will create the marbling effect.8 medium to large eggs
- Add the cracked eggs back into the pot and then add all your remaining ingredients. If needed add more water to ensure the eggs are covered. Cover and bring to a low simmer and cook for 1.5 hours. Remove from heat and let cool in the broth so they can continue absorbing the flavor. They can be eaten right away, or you can put in the refrigerator and eat when you are ready.8 medium to large eggs, 2 tablespoons loose leaf tea (heaping tablespoons), 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce, 2 teaspoons salt, 2-3 whole dried Sichuan chili peppers, ½ teaspoon Sichuan pepper, 2 pieces star anise, ½ stick Chinese cinnamon, 2 bay leaves, 2 whole cloves, .5 ounces rock sugar, Fresh or dried orange peel
- Hint: Add the broth to a small dish and dip the tea eggs in the broth (or use a spoon to pour some on the egg) when eating. The broth will be salty, so don’t add too much.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition disclaimer
malaeats.com is created for informational purposes only. Although we do our best to provide nutritional information to our readers as a general guideline, we are not certified nutritionists and the nutritional values provided should be considered estimates. Numerous factors such as variations in fresh ingredients, brands purchased, etc. will alter the nutritional values in any recipe. Different online calculators also provide different results depending on their sources. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, please use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities you used.
Food safety
We sometimes take for a granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience, that the average visitor may not. Add to, or remove from, the list below with health and safety tips.
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods (less than 2 hours is recommended by the CDC).
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
See more guidelines at the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention website.
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