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Pidan Eggs
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Whether you call them century eggs, hundred-year eggs, millennium eggs or whatever, these outlandish ova are a
Chinese delicacy dating back centuries to the Ming Dynasty. The boastful name suggests these eggs take forever to
make, this is a misnomer. Century eggs take about 4-5 weeks to make, a few minutes to work up the courage to open,
and a few seconds to eat.
Traditionally century eggs were made by preserving chicken or duck eggs in a mixture of salt, lime and ash, then
wrapping in rice husks for several weeks. During this time the pH of the egg raises transforming the egg, the
chemical process breaks down some of the proteins and fats into smaller, more complex flavours. After curing the
yolk of the egg turns a dark green and has a creamy consistency, while the white turns amber and is gelatinous.
I chose a more modern method to achieve the same results: a salt and lye pickling solution, and encasing in modelling
clay. After about a month my eggs were ready, and I'm happy to say they turned out perfectly!
Want to make your own? Of course you do!
Enough talk, let's make some eggs!
Step 1: Supplies + materials
supplies:
100% lye/caustic soda (NaOH - sodium hydroxide)*
salt (NaCl - sodium cloride) chicken egg (duck or quail egg)
.
materials:
scale plastic wrap clay (I used modeling
clay) glass jar with lid
* Technically lye is a corrosive, not poison. Though, it' can be labelled as either. It's incredibly dangerous to handle and can cause severe burns with contact to skin, there's also an inhalation risk. Use gloves and a respirator.
There's plenty of other foods that are made/prepared with lye, but use caution and common sense.
Always use pure, 100% lye (sodium hydroxide).
Step 2: Prepare pickling solution
Start by making the pickling solution, here's the basic breakdown:
1L - Water 42g - Sodium hydroxide(NaOH) (lye) 72g - Sodium chloride(NaCl) (salt)
On a scale weigh out the lye and salt. Over low heat dissolve the salt and lye completely in water. Bring the solution
to a boil and allow it to cool down before use.
Place raw eggs into glass jar and pour the cooled pickling solution over eggs. Ensure all eggs are completely
submerged.
Step 3: Store
I wrote the date of submerging these eggs on my label, as well as the expected dates for encasing in clay, and
eventual consumption. Label jar and store in a safe place, like the corner of your desk, so all your coworkers can
gawk in disgust (or silent admiration). I also added a warning so my coworkers wouldn't mess with the jar while the
eggs were pickling.
Leave eggs at 15-20°C (60-70°F) for about 10 days. Keep an eye on them to ensure they don't pop up above the
solution and stay submerged.
Step 4: Remove from brine
After about 10 days it's time to remove the eggs. Carefully pour out brine and pick out eggs, rinse with water then
towel dry. The shells should still be hard.
You should be able to see some discolouration through the shells.
Step 5: Encase
Traditionally century eggs were rolled in mud then wrapped in rice husks and buried for a few more weeks. In this
modern version I simply wrapped the eggs in several layers of clear plastic wrap then encased in modeling clay. This
inhibits oxygen from reaching the eggs while they cure.
Be careful when encasing in clay as not to break the eggs. After wrapping I put all the eggs into a resealable bag and
left for another 2 weeks.
Step 6: Crack open
After about a month from the when the eggs were first put into the brine solution it's time to open them up. Carefully
remove the clay encasement and the plastic wrap, then tap the egg to break the shell and gently peel away. The eggs
should be completely transformed!
The whites of the eggs will now be a jelly-like translucent amber colour and the yolks a very dark green and with a
texture much like a hard boiled egg. Take a look at picture 2 in this step to see the different consistency between the
yolk and white in my egg-xperiment.
Step 7: Serve!
Century eggs are typically served mashed up in soupy rice. I made a steamy bowl and served it to my friends.
The taste was...interesting. The appearance is deceiving and almost put me off eating it altogether, but once I ate
some it wasn't that bad. It tasted kind of like a hard boiled egg, only with a more complex flavour and a slightly
mineral/metallic taste. I'm happy I tried this and think I would probably eat it again. You know, sometime later
(much, much later).
Congee with Preserved Duck Egg
I've recently been enjoying some lovely preserved duck eggs. They are stunners. Peel them and you reveal gem-like
eggs, with firm,amber egg whites and grey-blue creamy yolks. I love how sunlight, shining through the crystal-clear,
golden-brown yolks turns the eggs into glowing treasures--totally breathtaking and inspiring. For as much as I already
love eggs in general, the striking beauty of these "1000 year old eggs" makes me see eggs in a whole new light. Think
about how fun it would be to use these marvelously-colored eggs to reinvent classic egg dishes, infusing them with an
element of surprise!
These eggs make for good comfort food--good and nourishing food--with unexpected newness.
Preserved eggs are a favorite in Chinese cuisine, made by curing duck, quail, or chicken eggs in a salty, highly basic (i.e.
high pH) mixture. Traditionally, this mixture was made from clay, wood ash, quicklime, and salt, but today it is more
common to preserve eggs in a salty brine made with calcium hydroxide and sodium carbonate.
Pídàn (皮蛋), translated as "thousand-year old eggs" or "preserved eggs," but also referred to as "century eggs" or
"millenium eggs" in English, come ready to eat as-is and are used in Chinese cooking in a variety of ways, all of which
I've not explored. But one very delicious way to enjoy them is as a part of a rice porridge congee (粥, zhōu) made with
lean pork (瘦肉, shòuròu). This congee is eaten as a breakfast dish and is often served at dim sum restaurants.
I remember going to brunch in Cupertino Village with some college friends one Sunday years ago and my roommate
being decidedly firm about us ordering congee. It wasn't just her excitement as a Taiwanese American over eating
something homey and familiar that convinced us to get it; no, when Christine tells you to order something, you do it,
because experience has proven she knows what she's talking about when it comes to food. And let me tell you, that
first time I tried congee, I was once again glad I'd listened. It was delicious.
One of the most comforting of foods, congee is as cozy as a nice warm blanket wrapping all around you--like a nice big
hug. It has such a velvety, creamy texture that gets you licking the spoon and ahem, even the bowl. It's just so tasty
you don't want to miss one drop of it. And this recipe here--lean pork and rice congee--becomes even more delicious
when you swirl in the creamy yolks of the preserved egg slices garnishing each serving.
This recipe is so easy, and it is such a great way to use up leftover rice. If you don't have leftover cooked rice on hand,
though, start with one cup dry, uncooked white rice. Wash uncooked grains in several changes of water until water is
clear, drain, and cover with 1 1/4 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and steam until tender.
Continue by adding the minced pork and broth and following the rest of the recipe as written.
Lean Pork Congee with 1,000-Year-Old Egg
(皮蛋瘦肉粥, pídàn shòuròu zhōu)
Makes 4-6 servings
Adapted from 飲茶食譜 "Chinese Dim Sum"
3 cups cooked white short-grained rice
112g (1/4 lb.) lean pork, minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
3 1,000-year-old preserved eggs, cut into eighths*
Place cooked rice, pork, and broth into a medium pot. Cover pot and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer
until rice is very soft and congee has thickened, about 15-20 minutes, stirring regularly to avoid burning the bottom.
Season with salt and sesame oil to taste. Ladle congee into individual bowls and garnish with chopped green onion and
slices of preserved egg.
*Note: if 1000-year-old eggs are not available in your markets, substitute eggs that are cooked just barely to the hard-
cooked stage. As of December 2011, these eggs were available at theOriental Market here in town.
