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.

Put eggs in a bowl of cold water for one minute.

Remove eggs from cold water bath and tap eggs all over with the back of a spoon.

Place tea bags, star anise and soy sauce in a saucepan; place eggs in saucepan and add water to cover.

Bring pot to a boil; then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 2 hours.

Let eggs and sauce cool to room temperature.

Serve by removing shell and cutting eggs into halves or quarters. For deeper color, let eggs soak in sauce overnight in the refrigerator.