I love making tea eggs. Usually, I'll start them in the evening, let them soak up the flavor of the tea marinade overnight and then enjoy one with breakfast. They're one of those ideal make-ahead foods: they do most of the work on their own, they make a great, high-protein snack, and they're easy to pack into a lunch.

Here's one of my favorite styles of tea eggs: Peppery Tea Eggs made with black peppercorns and various other spices. Enjoy!

See Also

Chinese New Year's Foods

Orange-Spiced Tea Eggs Recipe

Tea Eggs Recipe on About Chinese Food

Ingredients

• 12 eggs (preferably organic)
• 4 cups water for boiling, plus 4 more for simmering
• ice and cool water, to cover the eggs
• 2 Tbsp. loose-leaf black tea (I use organic Sun Moon Lake 'Red' Tea, a.k.a. Sun Moon Lake Black Tea)
• 1-2 Tbsp. whole black peppercorns (depending on how peppery you want them)
• (optional) 1 tsp. green or white peppercorns, or 1 tsp. chili flakes
• 1 piece star anise (the 'stars', not the segments)
• 1 tsp. Szechuan peppercorns
• 1/2 cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos or a good quality soy sauce (Braggs is a low-sodium alternative to soy sauce. I always use it to make tea eggs.)
•  

• Prep Time: 3 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes

• Total Time: 13 minutes
• Yield: 1 dozen tea eggs

Preparation

1. Place the eggs and 4 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to simmer.
2. Simmer for ten minutes. Then, strain the water and add the cool water and ice.
3. When the eggs are cool enough to handle, take a heavy spoon and tap the eggs all over. You should give them nice, firm taps, almost like little 'thwacks'. The eggshell should crackle evenly all over as you do this. Adjust firmness as needed to get the desired result.

1. Place the eggs and all remaining ingredients (including the other 4 cups water) into a crock pot or saucepan.
2. Simmer the eggs in the crock pot for 12 hours or more (the longer you simmer, the more flavor you get) OR put them on a low boil for an hour, adding water as needed, then let them sit overnight.
3. Before eating, allow the eggs to cool slightly in the shell, then peel them. Tea eggs are as beautiful as they are delicious. Enjoy!