Tea Eggs for the Holidays

Eggs appear everywhere this week, from the seder plate to Easter baskets. There's colored plastic eggs in green plastic grass, chocolate eggs with cream filling, and eggs you can eat for lunch. And that's not even mentioning the dyed eggs.

We're not dying eggs this year, but we are going to do something decorative in a different way. We're making marbled Chinese tea eggs for Sunday brunch.

To make tea eggs you boil eggs then gently crack the shell all over into a spidered pattern. Then the eggs are simmered and steeped in a mixture of black tea and spices until it soaks through the cracks and stains a beautiful pattern on the eggs.

You would think this long simmer and soak would make for tough, rubbery eggs. But they actually turn out soft and sometimes even custardy with the taste of the spices. They are a favorite street snack in China - available in every corner store.

The picture and the recipe are from AllRecipes - it's a good basic recipe, although others often put in different spices. It's fun to experiment.

Try also this recipe for Tea Eggs from umami - she has good step-by-step photos. There's also sweet versions that call for sugar in the tea.

Comments (10)

Indeed a twist on Easter eggs- I think I'm going to make a batch this weekend! These eggs are so yummy and so easy to make. In Taiwan, they sell them at the 7-11s and other similarly typed stores in jars by the counter. Like the U.S. equivalent of pickles perhaps?

posted by s in DC on April 4th 2007 at 6:31am
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I've made these in the past and forgotten how beautiful and delicious they are. Thanks for reminding me. nestling whole tea eggs in the middle of mixed green salads [perhaps with a dressing that includes sesame oil, for an Asian taste] makes for an exotic first course.

posted by Terry B on April 4th 2007 at 7:15am
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Is it just me, or does this pic freak anyone else out? Don't know exactly why, except that it reminds me of something like the "My precious!" freaky guy from The Lord of the Rings.

That thought aside, they're beautiful...but I'd have to work really hard to get that out of my head first...

posted by kate on April 4th 2007 at 7:25am
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I am cracking up (no pun intended) over Kate's comment.

She has a point though. They do look a tad bit strange or peculiar. They are delicious though...especially the sweet versions.

posted by Keisha Kornbread on April 4th 2007 at 7:43am
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I'll be making my grandmother's Pennsylvania Dutch Pickled Red Beet eggs.

posted by ann on April 4th 2007 at 7:56am
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i'm glad you shared about this. it is one of my favorite snacks when i lived back home in singapore. you can find them in street fairs or like in taiwan, at 7-11's or chinese herbal stores. you can smell the tea/spices simmering from a way's away. i think i'm going to make them this easter!

posted by syen on April 5th 2007 at 11:08am
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When my mom would color Easter Eggs, she always cracked the shell first. That way, when the eggs were later opened for eating, they would be tie-dyed under the shell.

posted by Aimi on April 4th 2008 at 9:10am
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posted by tiffany77 on October 9th 2009 at 3:32am
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