Wren Gao’s Smoky Chinese Tea Eggs

Chinese tea eggs are hard-boiled eggs soaked in a spice-filled soy sauce marinade that are typically eaten as a savory snack. They have a beautiful marbled surface as a result of letting the marinade soak into the gently cracked boiled eggs. The smokiness from the Lapsang Souchong tea leaves make these eggs extra earthy, but you can also use black tea or jasmine tea. Like Wren, Lapsang Souchong is a unique and robust flavor bursting with personality. Chinese tea eggs are flavorful, delicious, and can be eaten with a variety of meals. The patience involved is worth it!

Ingredients

1 cinnamon stick

3 star anises

7 whole cloves

3 bay leaves

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns

½ teaspoon fennel seed

3 tablespoons loose Lapsang Souchong tea leaves

3 tablespoons dark soy sauce

3 tablespoons light soy sauce

3 one-inch slices of fresh ginger

2 tablespoons honey

2 cups of water

8 eggs

Method

Prepare the marinade by toasting the cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, bay leaves, black peppercorns, Sichuan peppercorns, fennel seed, and tea leaves in a medium saucepot over low heat until aromatic, stirring constantly for about 2–3 minutes.

Add dark and light soy sauces, fresh ginger, honey, and water to the saucepot and turn the heat up to medium.

Once the marinade boils, cover the pot and turn down the heat to let the mixture simmer for 10–15 minutes.

After the mixture has simmered, remove the marinade from the stove and strain it. Let the mixture cool completely.

While the marinade cools, cook the eggs by gently placing them in a medium pot filled with cold water (about 1 inch over the eggs) and set over high heat. Starting the eggs in cold water should help prevent cracking and result in even cooking. Bring the water to a boil.

Once the water is boiling, turn the heat off and allow the eggs to cook in the water for 8–10 minutes. While the eggs are cooking, prepare an ice bath (a large bowl filled with ice and water).

Remove the eggs from the water and gently place them in the ice bath. This prevents the eggs from cooking more.

Once the eggs have completely cooled, crack the shells very lightly. We want the shells to be cracked just enough to allow the liquid to seep through and flavor the eggs. Use a spoon to lightly tap the shells to crack them or delicately roll the eggs against the counter with your palm.

Add the cracked eggs to a plastic container or plastic bag. Pour the marinade over the eggs so that they are fully submerged. We want that flavor to soak in! If the tops of the eggs are slightly above the surface, rotate the eggs every 3–4 hours.

Marinate the eggs for 12–24 hours in the refrigerator to really let the flavors absorb.

After 12–24 hours of marination, peel the shells off the eggs. Enjoy Chinese tea eggs cold or at room temperature.