Chinese Marbled Tea Eggs + First Cooking Video!

I’m excited to share with you all the first cooking video on Appetite for China! For a while I had considered adding video to enhance the content on this site, and finally the took the plunge after being inspired by fellow bloggers including Pinch of Yum, Crepes of Wrath, and Steamy Kitchen, plus a great panel on creating video at the Roger Smith Cookbook Conference a few weekends ago. So here’s the first, born out of a fun Saturday afternoon. Let me know what you think!

Chinese marbled tea eggs, stewed in a black tea/soy sauce/spice blend, are a ubiquitous and cheap snack sold all around China in snack stands and convenience stores. The aromas of tea, cinnamon, star anise, and soy sauce are intoxicating, just perfect for fall.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’ve made 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.

Update: Check out How to Make: Chinese Tea Eggs, the first of many cooking videos on Appetite for China!

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Chinese Marbled Tea Eggs

6 to 8 eggs, any size2 tea bags of black tea1/2 cup soy sauce or tamari1 tablespoon light brown sugar2 pieces star anise1 cinnamon stick1 teaspoon cracked black peppercorn (optional)2 to 3 strips dried mandarin peel (optional)Add enough water to a medium pot to cover the eggs. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer for 10 minutes, until the eggs are hard-boiled.Remove the eggs with a strainer and run under cold water until they are cool enough to handle. Tap the eggs with the back of a butter knife to crack them evenly all around, being careful not to peel off the shells. Return the eggs to the pot.In the same pot, add the tea bags, soy sauce, brown sugar, star anise, cinnamon, black peppercorns, and orange peel (if using). Add enough water to cover the eggs by an inch. Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat to a bare simmer. Allow the eggs to simmer for 1 to 2 hours, longer for a more intense flavor and color.Remove from the heat and drain the eggs, saving a little of the liquid to serve with the eggs if you choose. You can either peel and serve the eggs immediately or store them in the fridge for up to 4 days in a tightly covered container. Serve as a snack as-is or as an addition to rice or noodles.

Updated February 19, 2013. Original recipe posted May 8, 2008.

Tagged as: Appetizers, Cantonese, Chinese, Eggs, Gluten-Free, Gluten-Free Adaptable, Healthy, Recipes, Vegetarian

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Chinese Marbled Tea Eggs

Every once in a while, when I have a weekend afternoon with a couple free hours, I make a batch of Chinese tea eggs like the ones pictured above. They remind me of the year I spent in Beijing, when my friends and I would take along these eggs for fuel during weekends hiking on the outskirts of the city. (They were as great for energy as any granola mix!)

Chinese marbled tea eggs, stewed in a black tea/soy sauce/spice blend, are a ubiquitous and cheap snack sold all around China in snack stands and convenience stores. The aromas of tea, cinnamon, star anise, and soy sauce are intoxicating, just perfect for fall.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’ve made 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. Or even take them on your next hiking trip!

Try this recipe at home and let me know what you think!

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Chinese Marbled Tea Eggs

8 eggs, any size2 tea bags of black tea1/2 cup soy sauce1 tablespoon light brown sugar2 pieces star anise1 cinnamon stick1 teaspoon cracked black peppercorn (optional)2 to 3 strips dried mandarin peel (optional)Add enough water to a medium pot to cover the eggs. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer for 10 minutes, until the eggs are hard-boiled.Remove the eggs with a strainer and run under cold water until they are cool enough to handle. Tap the eggs with the back of a butter knife to crack them evenly all around, being careful not to peel off the shells. Return the eggs to the pot.In the same pot, add the tea bags, soy sauce, brown sugar, star anise, cinnamon, black peppercorns, and orange peel (if using). Add enough water to cover the eggs by an inch. Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat to a bare simmer. Allow the eggs to simmer for 1 to 2 hours, longer for a more intense flavor and color.Remove from the heat and drain the eggs, saving a little of the liquid to serve with the eggs if you choose. You can either peel and serve the eggs immediately or store them in the fridge for up to 4 days in a tightly covered container. Serve as a snack as-is or as an addition to rice or noodles.

Updated September 4, 2012. Original recipe posted May 8, 2008.

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More Chinese appetizers and snacks to try:

Tagged as: Appetizers, Cantonese, Chinese, Eggs, Healthy, Recipes, Vegetarian

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Marbled Meringue

December 14th, 2010 | Baking Recipes | 4 Comments

I have “met” so many great and talented food bloggers on Twitter and Ken of Hungry Rabbit is one of them. Ken is one of the sweetest guys on Twitter; he is always so gentle and kind to me. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Ken is a very talented baker. As you all know, I am a hopeless case when it comes to baking, so I invited Ken to share a holiday baking recipe with us. Check out his decadent marbled meringue recipe below. If you love baking, you ought to check out his blog Hungry Rabbit (warning: major drool alert!).  And Ken, happy holidays and enjoy your vacation in Penang!! I can’t wait to hear all about it when you come back.

Greetings everyone, I’m Ken from Hungry Rabbit. As someone who started blogging not so long ago, I was excited when Bee asked me to write a guest post for Rasa Malaysia. She’s been most generous with her wealth of knowledge and blogging experience. I hope this post will encourage you to bake something to share during the holiday season.

December is a time for celebration, filled with such holidays as Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanza. Even if you don’t observe them, it’s still the time of year for friends and family to gather over meals. That’s exactly what I have been doing for the last few weeks–plus non-stop baking of sweet treats that I pack up to bring to these gatherings…

Here’s one simple confection. It’s not exactly a holiday theme dessert but the appearance and texture of the airy meringue are great for celebrating. The streaks of chocolate through the meringue not only give it a festive
appearance but also a contrast in texture. Bits of chocolate provide a soft creaminess, while the meringue shell gives the crispiness.

Marbled Meringues are simple to make and travel well, so you can take these cloud-like morsels to any gathering.

Happy Holidays and may 2011 brings you good health, sweet treats and delicious dreams.

MARBLED MERINGUE

Make about 18 large (2-inch) or 36 small (1-inch) meringue
recipe by hungry rabbit

INGREDIENTS:

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, melted and cool.
2 egg whites, large at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 200?/93? with racks on upper-middle and lower-middle position. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Add egg whites to a clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until frothy. Add cream of tartar. In crease sped to medium high and beat to soft peaks, about 2-3 minutes.

Slowly add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time until combined. Add vanilla and beat for about 3 minutes until stiff and shiny.Sift cornstarch over the meringue and gently fold in with a rubber spatula.

Transfer meringue to a bowl. Drizzle parallel lines of melted chocolate over the surface of the meringue. (Do not stir to marble the meringue, it will happen when in the next step)

Using a spoon, scraped across the surface of the mixture, crosswise to the drizzled lines, to get a rounded mound of striped meringue. Use a second spoon to push mound onto prepared baking sheets, 1-1/2 inches apart.

Continue scooping until you need to drizzle more chocolate. You may not use all the chocolate.

Bake meringue for 30 minutes. Switch the baking sheet from top to bottom and rotated from front to bottom. Bake for another 30 minutes. Turn off oven and fight the urge to open oven door. Leave meringues inside to dry, about another hour.

Eat them immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

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