Tea Eggs (Cha Ye Dan / 茶叶蛋)
I
Origin
Ancient Chinese — now national street food and home tradition
II
Description
Hard-boiled eggs cracked (not peeled) and simmered for 1–2 hours in a fragrant broth of black tea (usually pu-erh or assam), soy sauce, star anise, cassia, bay leaves, and Sichuan pepper. The cracked shells create a beautiful marbled brown-white pattern when peeled, while the tea-spice broth permeates the white. Street food staple across China and Taiwan.
III
The Thread
—Japanese ramen eggs (similar marinating principle)
—Korean soy-marinated eggs
—Middle Eastern tea-stained eggs
IV
Flavour Context
Subtle tea-spice-soy flavour throughout the egg white; visually stunning marbled surface; deeply comforting Chinese street food
Pillars V — VII
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