Chinese tea eggs are hardboiled eggs that are marbled and flavored with tea, soy sauce and other spices. Generally black Chinese tea is used to make these eggs, but you can use any type of tea that you choose. Just keep in mind that the type of tea will impart its flavor slightly into the eggs. If you try this tea egg recipe, I would love to know what you think in the Chinese food forum found here, enjoy!

8 eggs
½ tsp salt
2 black tea bags
2 cups or more of water
1 star anise
2 piece of dried orange peel
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp regular soy sauce

1. First hard boil the eggs in plain water. The best way to do this is to place the cold eggs in a pot. Then cover them with cold water and add the ½ teaspoon of salt. Then bring this to a boil on high heat. Once it boils turn the heat off and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 15 minutes. Then they should be cooked through. To make sure they are cooked remove one egg and give it a spin, if it spins freely then it’s done.


2. Once they are cooked, place them in a bowl of ice water to cool them down.


3. When the eggs are cool to the touch use the back of a spoon or side of a butter knife to crack the shells just slightly. We want them to have small cracks over the entire egg. This is going to give them that marbled look once they are steeped in the tea mixture.


4. After all of the eggs are slightly cracked all over, in a medium pot mix together the tea bags, water, star anise, dried orange peel, dark soy sauce, and regular soy sauce and bring this mixture to a boil.


5. Once it boils turn the heat to low and add the eggs. Make sure that the tea mixture completely covers the eggs. If it does not cover them, add more water until they are covered. Then let them simmer for 30 minutes.


6. After 30 minutes, cover the pot and turn the heat off, leaving them to steep in the tea mixture. When this mixture comes to room temperature, place it in the refrigerator so that the eggs can marinate overnight. You can also transfer the mixture and the eggs into a separate container if you wish as well.


7. Then next day, serve the eggs at room temperature.