Five Spice Tea Eggs

I thought I would re-post this recipe from last year.  We are getting ready to make some more of these today. 
 My good friend Laura, introduced me to Chinese tea soaked eggs.   She taught English for several years in Taiwan and this is a recipe that she learned while there.


Five-Spice Tea Eggs

eggs, a dozen or so
black Chinese tea leaves, 3-4 tablespoons
whole eight-star anise, 3-4
five-spice powder, 1 teaspoon
thumb-sized piece of ginger
soysauce, 3 tablespoons
salt, 1 teaspoon

1. Make soft-boiled eggs and immerse in cold water (this makes for easier peeling later.)
2. Gently tap the eggs with the back of a spoon so that the shells are cracked all over.
3. In a pan cover the eggs with water, add the tea leaves, spices and seasonings. Simmer for an hour or two, adding water as needed. Soak overnight.

When the eggs are peeled they will have a brown crackled pattern on the inside.

It was really funny to see how people reacted to the eggs.  People were afraid to try them!   They are just hard boiled eggs, but with all of the spices and tea give off a beautiful fragrance.  It also helps create these beautiful crackled patterns on the eggs.  You can serve them warm or cold, eat them as a snack or served with rice.  It is a nice change from traditional deviled eggs