Allow us to introduce you to your new favourite type of hard-cooked egg: tea eggs. Tea eggs are becoming more well-known after becoming a common food in Asian nations like China, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Malaysia. These tiny taste bombs are tinged with a brownish marinade that begins by splitting the shell and begins with soy sauce, tea, and spices. The marinade frequently appears through distinctive fissures in the whites of the eggs. Whether you've ever had a tea egg or not, you can start easily producing a delectable snack at home with just a few simple ingredients.
Hard-cooked eggs are marinated in a flavorful broth that has been tea- and spice-infused. Before marinating, the eggshells are typically fractured, giving them their distinctive crackly appearance. Tea eggs are a popular street food or restaurant snack that have their origins in China. The flavour of tea eggs is mildly spicy and salty, with the same texture of a hard-cooked egg. The flavour is comparable to a marinated ramen egg, but the black tea gives it a distinctive earthiness.
Method
Start by cooking a batch of hard-cooked eggs according to your preferred technique. Tea eggs are typically eaten hard-cooked, but if you want, you can cook them to medium for a softer yolk.
Place the eggs in ice water or cool running water to quickly cool them. Leave the eggs' shells intact and gently tap them with the back of a metal spoon. Attempt to be gentle enough that some or all of the shell comes out; it's completely fine; you'll simply have a tea egg that is a little bit darker.
Bring water, soy sauce, black tea leaves or bags, cinnamon sticks, star anise, peppercorns, and bay leaf to a boil in a pot. The whole spices can be swapped out for a five-spice combination. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes at low heat. Remove from heat and let cool fully.
The number of eggs you want will determine how much tea egg marinade you need to prepare; just make sure there is enough liquid to completely cover the eggs.
The cracked eggs should be soaked for at least 24 hours or up to four days in the fridge. Place the cracked eggs in a storage container or bag and completely cover with the liquid. Peel the tea egg when you're ready to eat it, then take a moment to enjoy its cracked appearance. Cold or at room temperature, tea eggs taste wonderful.
The cracked, hard-cooked eggs can alternatively be gently simmered in the pot for two to three hours, then cooled and steeped for roughly eight hours. The tea eggs may become richer in colour and flavour as a result, and you can consume them more quickly.
Tea Type
For preparing tea eggs, any black tea will work well. You can purchase genuine Chinese black tea at your neighbourhood Asian shop or simply use the black tea that is already in your pantry.
Storage
The shell-on tea eggs can be kept in the marinating liquid for up to a week. If you consume the tea eggs quickly, you can create more using the same liquid and hard-cooked eggs.