Chinese Tea Eggs: A Simple Street Snack
Tea eggs (茶叶蛋, chá yè dàn) are one of China’s most common street foods — hard-boiled eggs cracked all over and simmered in a spiced tea broth until the marinade seeps through the cracks, creating a marble pattern on the whites. They’re sold at convenience stores, street carts, and train stations across the country.
The broth is made from black tea, star anise, cinnamon, soy sauce, and Sichuan peppercorns. The eggs are boiled first, then gently cracked (not peeled) all over with the back of a spoon, then simmered in the broth for several hours. The longer they sit, the deeper the flavor. A good tea egg has savory, spiced, slightly sweet notes that go perfectly with plain rice or congee.
They cost about 2 yuan ($0.30) each. Buy one from a convenience store on your way to work and you’ll understand why they’ve been a staple breakfast food for generations.