Taiwanese Braised Tea Eggs (茶葉蛋)

This Taiwanese snack is healthy and easy to make ahead of time!

Braised tea eggs are an iconic snack food in Taiwan.

Found in every 7/11 and convenience store, their aromatic, savoury smell is the first thing you smell when you walk in through the sliding doors. The eggs are boiled and the shells are lightly cracked so that when they sit in the braising liquid, the egg is able to absorb all of the flavours of the braising liquid.

The ingredients in the braising liquid literally smells like my parent's house. Star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves… all the delicious goodness that makes up a great five spice and the heart of most Taiwanese classics.

Let’s talk through what make this recipe unique!

Key Ingredients

ONE

Tea. Taiwan's rolling hills and mountainous areas produces a beautiful teas. In Chinese, we call black tea 'red tea' for the red-ish tone the results from a freshly brewed cuppa. Any black tea would work for the braised tea eggs. Because you just need a bit of the dark colour and earthy flavours of the tea, you don't need to get anything fancy. A good solid black tea bag will do the trick, as all the other spices will bring it all together.

TWO

Star Anise, a commonly used spice in many Asian countries, including Taiwan. It has a strong anise flavour. Think licorice, but not as intense. It's one of the building blocks of many Taiwanese dishes. Even if you are not a fan of licorice or anise, trust the process, the other flavours in the braising liquid tie it all together

THREE

Cinnamon bark. Also a popular spice used in Taiwanese cooking, adding this into the braising liquid won't make the eggs taste like cinnamon, it helps round out the tea and soy marinade for the perfect flavour!

Can you make these eggs ahead of time?

Absolutely. These braised tea eggs are a great afternoon or after school snack. They are healthy, high in protein and filling! Make a batch of 12 and leave them in the braising liquid for up to a week. Peel and eat as is, or with a bowl of rice!

Yield: 12

Author: Cristina Chang

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Taiwanese Braised Tea Eggs (茶葉蛋)

Taiwanese tea eggs are savoury and aromatic. Renown for a crackled look, tea eggs are a beautiful snack to add to your repertoire.

Cook time: 15 MinInactive time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 15 M

Ingredients

• 12 large eggs
• 6 cups of water
• 2 slices of ginger
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 2 tea bags (black, Taiwanese red, or oolong work well)
• 4 Tbsp soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp dark soy sauce
• 3 star anise
• 1 small piece of cassia or cinnamon bark
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 piece of orange peel

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water is at a boil, turn the heat down to a simmer and place the eggs in the water carefully, making sure they are full submerged.
2. Simmer for 10-12 minutes for hard-boiled eggs.
3. Remove the eggs and place into an ice bath.
4. While the eggs cool, place the 6 cups of water into a medium-large pot and add in the ginger, garlic, tea bags, both soys, sugar, star anise, cinnamon bark, bay leaves, sugar and orange peel, bring to a boil for 5 minutes then turn down to a simmer.
5. Remove the eggs from the ice bath and give it a good roll on the counter until a generous amount of cracks form on the shell. Place the cracked eggs into soy mixture and simmer in the marinade for about an hour. If the eggs aren't fully submerged, make sure to add more water so that all the surfaces of the egg are in marinade.
6. At this point, the eggs are ready to enjoy, but if you let the eggs sit in the marinade (off heat) in the fridge overnight, the flavour will continue to penetrate the egg, more flavour, yum!