Tea
Eggs茶葉蛋 cha-2 ye-4 dan-4) A cheap snack food, found all
over China. In spite of the name, tea is not the dominant flavour.
Serves 6
Ingredients 6 eggs
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon black tea leaves or 1 tea bag
4 pieces star anise
1 small stick cinnamon or cassia bark
1 teaspoon cracked peppercorns (optional)
2 strips dried mandarin peel (optional)
Method
Place unshelled eggs in saucepan of cold water – water
level should be at least 4 cm (1-1/2") higher than eggs.
Bring to a boil, then simmer for 2 minutes.
Remove the eggs.
With a knife, tap each egg to slightly crack the shells
in two or three places. Return to saucepan.
Add other ingredients
and stir. Cover and simmer for 2 hours, adding water as necessary.
Drain, serve hot or cold.
Notes Cook longer for a stronger flavour and a deeper
colour. Tea eggs are also known as Chinese marbled eggs for
the unique marbling effect on the surface of the egg. Sauce
can be frozen and reused.
Chinese rarely sit down to a lunch or dinner that does
not include soup (in the case of noodle soup, soup is the meal). Unlike
the Western custom of having soup before the main course, Chinese prefer
to eat soup during or towards the end of a meal… read
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