Tea Eggs

Have you ever see a rice cooker filled with black colored eggs that send off some strong aroma at a tapioca or tea shop? Those eggs in the pot are tea eggs. I see them very often here in the bay area.  These eggs are a very popular snacks in China and Taiwan, and are sold by street vendors as well as convienent stores. I also remember seeing that when I was growing up in Hong Kong. I used to hate that smell when I was younger, but as I got older, this smell became a pleasant aroma.

Ingredients:
makes 6 servings

6 eggs
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 bags of black tea
1 cinnamon stick or 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
2 star anises
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon peppercorn (option)
1 dried tangerine peel (optional)

Instruction:

1. Place eggs in a pot of water, and turn on the heat to boil.
2. After bringing the water to a boil, let eggs simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
3. Take out the eggs, and let it cool.
4. Meanwhile, in a new pot, boil enough water to cover all the eggs but do not place eggs in.
5. When water is boiling, add in all ingredients but the eggs.
6. When the eggs are cool enough to handle, gently crack them with the back of a spoon. Create marble pattern on the shell, enough so that peel won't come off.
7. Add the marbled eggs to the boiling tea mixture.
8. Turn the heat to low, and let the eggs simmer for 30 minutes.
9. Turn off the heat and cover the eggs and tea mixture with a lid.
10. Let it stand for an hour or overnight.

Tea Egg after one hour of soaking in tea mixture.

The longer you let the eggs sit in tea mixture, the stronger the taste and the darker the marble patterns are.