Chinese Marbled Tea Eggs are beautiful an easy to make. The first time I saw marbled tea eggs, I was intrigued. How was the marbled pattern made? Little did I know just how simple the process was. Eggs are hard boiled, then cracked all around. The cracked hard boiled eggs are then steeped in a flavorful soy sauce marinade.
Tomorrow is Chinese New Year and I’ve got one more recipe to share with you ~ Chinese Marbled Tea Eggs. Marbled Tea Eggs symbolize prosperity and fertility in the Chinese culture, so it’s only fitting that they be served for Chinese New Year.
As you might have read in my Coconut Sticky Rice post, there are lots of traditions celebrated and symbolic foods eaten during the Chinese New Year, which lasts for 15 days.
A few years ago, I made these Chinese Marbled Tea Eggs as part of an Auspicious Chinese New Year Chicken Noodle Soup for a cooking class at our senior center. I dug this picture out of my archives.
I tried to include as many “good luck” foods as I could into a noodle soup bowl:
Chicken (cooked whole) – prosperity, togetherness as a family
Bamboo Shoots – wealth
Shitake Mushrooms – longevity
Tea Eggs – prosperity, fertility
Green Vegetables – close family ties
Noodles – longevity
Chinese dumplings – wealth
If you want to try this at home, you can simply cook boneless chicken breasts using my Slow Cooker Chinese Soy Sauce Chicken Wing recipe (of course, you can cook this on the stovetop if you’re in a hurry), and add the shitake mushrooms and shredded bamboo shoots to the sauce. When you’re ready to eat, heat some chicken broth up and add some green vegetables (baby bok choy is my favorite, but spinach would work too), cooked noodles and cooked dumplings to reheat. Top with sliced Chinese Soy Sauce Chicken, Shitake Mushrooms, Bamboo Shoots and a Chinese Marbled Tea Egg.
It’s like Chinese New Year in a bowl. 🙂
Chinese Marbled Tea Eggs
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs
- 4 black tea bags Oolong or English Breakfast Tea, strings cut off
- 3 star anise
- 3 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
Instructions
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Place eggs in a saucepan with water to cover; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat; let sit for 15 minutes.
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Put eggs in a bowl of cold water for one minute.
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Remove eggs from cold water bath and tap eggs all over with the back of a spoon.
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Place tea bags, star anise and soy sauce in a saucepan; place eggs in saucepan and add water to cover.
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Bring pot to a boil; then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 2 hours.
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Let eggs and sauce cool to room temperature.
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Serve by removing shell and cutting eggs into halves or quarters. For deeper color, let eggs soak in sauce overnight in the refrigerator.
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I think these are the BEST marbled eggs I have ever seen! Well done, Jeanette.
And Happy Chinese New Year to you and your family!
Angie
Thanks Angie 🙂 Happy New Year!
Wow that’s so cool! I don’t know much about Chinese traditionals or New Year’s food but I love learning more from you.
Laura – there are so many traditions – I think it’s an excuse to eat a lot of good food 🙂
These Chinese Marbled Tea Eggs are gorgeous, Jeanette!
In Sri Lanka we have a lot of traditions about food and luck – I am curious, what foods do y’all advocate for good health?
Shashi, I love learning about traditions from other countries. When I was growing up, I remember there were certain foods that you were supposed to eat when you were sick – they have foods they consider “hot” or “cold” to balance your health. There are lots of herbs, special ingredients they use too. I’m not too familiar with most of them unfortunately.
Wow these are so beautiful and unique!
Thank you Medha – they’re really quite easy to make – hope you have a chance to try them.
I used to hate these growing up but now- They are one of my favourite traditions. Yours look gorgeous, Jeanette!
These marbled eggs are beautiful, Jeanette! Love your noodle bowl too! Happy New Year to your and your family!
Thanks Kelly – I tried to stuff as many “good luck” foods into this bowl 🙂
Jeanette,
I’m wondering can you use different teas to make these eggs? How would that influence flavor? Any thoughts?
Steve from the Blogger Network
I do think the flavor of the eggs would be slightly different depending on the tea you use. I like the darker more robust ones.