u/killedbyboar

Previously I made a post in an attempt to show the beautiful symmetrical, hexagon lattice in my pot with 19 soy eggs, and it somehow invited many curious questions about what's cooking, which I aim to answer here.

https://www.reddit.com/r/eggs/s/iMqFtWcKXe

Soy braised eggs are staples in East Asian cooking because it is easy to prepare for large batches, while partially preserving the eggs. Peeled hard-boiled eggs are braised in the soy stock for about 30 to 60 minutes. Even when stored in the fridge, the color and flavor continues to diffuse. The photo shows the product after staying for one day in the fridge (1st pic), versus freshly made ones (2nd pic). You can see the color continued to develop. They are often served cold as appetizers, sides or snacks.

Tea eggs are cooked in a similar manner, with tea leaves in the soy stock, and usually served hot right out of the pot. The boiled eggs are braised with cracked shells, giving the signature marble pattern. Arguably, this was intended to save the effort of shelling, which is why tea eggs are often found in the convenience stores and street vendors as affordable snacks. Because of the extended cooking time in the stock, both have solid yolks with the "overcooked grey" on the surface, and a hint of sulfur as part of the flavor profile. This is a feature distinctive from the other popular East Asian egg cousins, ajitsuke eggs (Japanese ramen eggs) and mayak eggs (Korean drug eggs). Their yolks are creamy, almost runny, due to short boiling time (about 5 minutes) before being shocked in the cold water bath. The entire favoring process was 2+ days of marination in the fridge to preserve the yolk texture.

It is also worth mentioning that practically no restaurant or household would braise just the soy eggs. Usually the soy stock is primarily made to braise pork ribs, bellies, beef shanks, chicken legs and wings, etc. Towards the end of long braising, the eggs along with a garden variety of tofu products are added to soak up all the flavors. The batch shown here was reusing the stock that had yielded some 10+ pounds of delicious meat.

The reason why I have not mentioned any receipt about the soy stock and spices is because they are just too many. Each chef can create their unique flavor, and it is easy to find a recipe to begin with. In short, not all brown eggs taste the same, and that soy braising is a core technique of Asian cooking for its efficiency to yield a lot of savory and fridge-shelf-stable protein.

Cheers and keep egging!