Chinese Marbled Tea Eggs - Recipe

Tea egg is a typical Chinese savoury food commonly sold as a snack, in which a pre-boiled egg is cracked and then boiled again in tea, sauce and/or spices. It is also known as marble egg because cracks in the egg shell create darkened lines with marble-like patterns.

Chinese marbled tea eggs are usually stewed in a black tea/soy sauce/spice blend (as shown above), are a ubiquitous and cheap snack sold all around Asia, typically in China, in snack stands and convenience stores. The aromas of tea, cinnamon, star anise, and soy sauce are intoxicating, and perfect for winter.  The eggs are also easy to make at home. Getting the marbling effect is as simple as cracking the eggs once they're cooked. You can use any black tea; just avoid green tea since it's too astringent to use for simmering.  The eggs can be simmered for 1 to 2 hours; longer simmering means a more intense flavor and color.

Once the eggs are cooked, you can eat them hot or cold as a snack. I like to make lazy meals out of just 2 eggs over ramen noodles, or chopped up eggs over fried rice. Or serve them as appetizers at a party, cut in half with caviar on top.