Universal across China — tea eggs are sold everywhere from convenience stores to street carts to train stations
Cha ye dan: eggs hard-boiled, shells cracked (not removed), then simmered for 1–2 hours in a spiced tea broth (black tea, soy, star anise, cinnamon, five spice, salt). The cracked shells allow the dark, aromatic liquid to seep in, creating a beautiful marbled pattern and deeply flavoured white. Sold on virtually every street corner across China.
Tea-smoky, star anise warmth, gently spiced, savoury — an aromatic, portable snack
{"Cracking shells while hot creates the marbling — thermal stress produces the crack pattern","Long simmering allows deep flavour penetration — 1 hour minimum, 2 hours optimal","Black tea (pu-erh or oolong) creates the right colour and tannin character","Cool in the broth overnight — flavour deepens significantly"}
{"Add a piece of dried mandarin peel for a Cantonese flavour note","The same broth can be used for multiple batches — it improves over time","Taiwanese version sometimes adds dried tofu (dou gan) in the same pot — it absorbs the broth beautifully"}
{"Not cracking shells — results in plain hard-boiled eggs with no marbling","Short cooking time — flavour doesn't penetrate","Discarding the broth after one batch — it deepens with each use"}
Every Grain of Rice — Fuchsia Dunlop