Tea leaf eggs are eggs that have been soaked in a tea-infused liquid. Tea leaf eggs have a marbled look and a strong flavor. Tea leaf eggs are a simple Chinese dish.
My local Albertson’s was having an egg sale for only 99 cents per carton this past weekend. I immediately thought of Chinese tea eggs when I saw the advertisement. My uncle gave me a block of old Chinese Pu-erh tea (普洱茶), ideal for making tea leaf eggs (茶叶蛋).
One of my favorite cuisines is hard-boiled eggs with curry, soy sauce, or, in this case, Chinese tea. What’s not to love about eggs steeped in Chinese tea for hours, with a marbled pattern on the egg white and a to-die-for aroma from the tea? I adore Chinese tea leaf eggs.
If you don’t care about appearance, you can make these tea eggs in a flash without boiling the eggs twice. Some people skip cracking the eggshells and leave the eggs (shells on) in the Chinese tea mixture.
So it’s entirely up to you. I like the look of pretty tea leaf eggs and don’t mind spending more time in the kitchen preparing them.
This is a simple recipe for Chinese tea eggs or tea leaf eggs. I’m sure your family will enjoy them if you give them a try and prepare a huge quantity.
This recipe has a low-calorie count of 70 calories per serving. I recommend the following recipes for a filling meal and a quick weeknight dinner.
INGREDIENTS:
- a dozen eggs
- 4 c. water
- 6 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tbsp Chinese Pu-erh tea leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 anise star
- three cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon powdered Chinese five-spice
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Combine 4 cups of water and the eggs in a medium pot. Ensure that the eggs are fully submerged in water and boil over high heat. To make sure the eggs are done, boil them for around 10 minutes.
- Remove the hard-boiled eggs from the hot boiling water and rinse them under cold running water. Gently tap the eggshell with the back of a teaspoon to crack the shell. Add the eggs to the water and add the rest of the ingredients. Bring the tea mixture to a boil, then reduce to low heat—1 hour of simmering (the longer the simmering, the better the taste). If necessary, add more water. Serve immediately or leave the tea eggs in the mixture overnight to further develop the color and flavor.