Let's face it, the thought of eating an egg which has been described as having been preserved for 100 years doesn't sound too appetizing to most of us, does it? Well, believe it or not, this Chinese delicacy is as delicious as it looks.
Although, some of you may want to hold your breath when eating it as the strong smell can make it a bit tough to truly appreciate. I'm French so, I grew up with the idea that the smellier the food the better the taste - there may not be too many things in common with the French and Chinese, but on this point, we certainly agree.
Most commonly known in China as "Pidan" (皮蛋), these chicken, duck, or quail eggs are preserved in a mixture of clay and salt which can also include ash, quicklime, and rice hulls. Unlike their descriptive names, these eggs are not preserved for so many years, but rather several weeks to several months, depending on the method of processing.
They can be eaten alone, but are often served with pickled ginger root. They can also accompany congee, or rice porridge, and aren't expensive as one may presume.
Through the process, the yolk changes to a dark green/grey color, with a creamy consistency and strong flavor due to the ammonia and hydrogen sulfide present. The white becomes a dark brown, translucent jelly with a salty flavor, giving it tree-like patterns near the surface. They make me think of eggs which have been trapped in tree sap - that gorgeous polished amber resin look... so fascinating to look at, you almost don't want to ruin it by chopping it all up.
I've tried some of the craziest foods throughout my travels - especially in Asia - and the Century Egg would definitely feature on the list. It's far better tasting than the embryonic duck egg from Vietnam... but that's another story!
Remember to try as many different kinds of foods as you possibly can on your travels. Accepting a local's offer to try something you may never have had is a great way for them to bond with you. Food and mealtimes are sacred in most cultures around the world - sharing it with your host and showing openness and curiosity shows a great form of respect and willingness to adapt.
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I really enjoyed reading this, thanks. Now going to go and fry up a few eggs.
Very impressive of your introduction! Appreciated it!
I know it takes courage to taste it for the first time, but it perfectly goes with some chili and green picks and can be served as one of the best starters or sides! Simple but definitely tasty!
It was actually quite good and not as smelly as one would think... but maybe I got lucky with the one I had :)
I would definitely have it again.
Thanks for coming by @floatinglin
Wow, vous avez essaye ca!?! Plus brave que moi! Je vien d'une partie francaise du Canada et nous avons la meme notion , le plus puant... le plus delicieux mais je ne croix pas manger un oeuf de 100 ans est sur ma liste de nouvaute a essayer!! Je dois admetre qu'il est beau en aparence.
Oui, mais franchement ce n'est pas aussi dégoûtant que son nom puisse nous faire croire. Je te le recommande vivement si tu vas un jour en Chine. C'est pas pire que les pattes de poulet ou le stinky tofu (ca ca pu la m****!)
haha je suis tres allergique au tofu et tout autre produit de soybean donc il a plus grande chance que j'essaye l'oeuf que le tofu!! J'imagine avec tout ceux qui l'essaye ,ca devrait pas etre si pire, c'est plus la pensee que c'est 100 ans de vieux!
Le nom "100 ans" est en fait une image pour dire que l'oeuf est vieux, mais en réalité il n'est vieux que de quelques semaines, voir quelques mois.
C'est une experience a faire, c'est sure.
Photos are very beautiful but after reading this passage, I'm already at the verge of vomiting:
Can never eat them.
Anyway, I just started following you and I'm your 776th follower. I'm new to Steemit and my aim is to start using this platform as a career. It's pleasure to connecting here. Thumbs up!
Welcome on board @shahzblog!
As a Steemit newbie, you must pass the initiation challenge of eating a Hundred-year-old Egg and make a Dtube video - no vomiting allowed. You'll be receiving it shortly. Good Luck!
A video of u packing the egg then? That would be interesting😁😁
This egg doesn't look like and hasn't been described as one I would enjoy too much!
It's rotten!?
It smells a bit like your feet. But isn't that what eggs smell like anyway?
That's a bit harsh on my feet!
They are not one hundred years old (although they may look that way)
Stinky feet, stinky feet, stinky feet (doing the stinky feet dance)
I'm kidding. Your feet are fine (except for that weird little toe..)
Yuck...those socks need to be burned lolsss
Are u a foot fetish?
No I'm a stinky egg fetishist
How about being an embryonic egg fetishit? sounds like feti-shit!!
LOL!!!
I'm fascinated and repelled simultaneously by these eggs but when I got to the photo of the fossil-like "white" I was sold. Wow, what a crazy idea to eat something aged for so long! And when traveling I'm also insatiably curious and will try most things offered.
HA! These eggs have that effect on people :) In all honesty, they really aren't that bad.
I think you can find them in Chinese markets outside of China as well, but it really isn't the same as when you try new things fully immersed in a new/unknown atmosphere.
Had never heard of that before. Embryonic eggs from the Phillippines sound disgusting but this is fascinating especially the texture of the white. Your analogy with amber fits quite well. Very interesting would probably try it. Lizard in Thailand turned out quite tasty in spite of my expectations so I like to experiment
Great article
Oooooh lizard! That's one I've never tried or even heard of. BUCKET LIST!
Thanks for stopping by @cortomaltese
It was a big lizard but turned into one of those delicious but very spicy Thai curries 😋 some local delicacy couldn't offend our hosts so went for it
Monitor lizards maybe? Hmmmm, now i'm intrigued. Had no idea lizards were eaten.
I think something like that. It was about a metre long and they said it was a delicacy there and is lucky so we couldn't refuse. This was in the south islands. I'm talking 1994 so it might be something protected now. Whatever it was it made me reconsider my previous conditionings with food
I bet it did!
Your definition sounds like a monitor... gorgeous animals, and very peaceful. First time I ever saw one was on Koh Lanta. It was crossing the road while I drove my motorbike. Freaked me out a bit to be honest. But I saw some again on beaches in the Philippines and lakes in Borneo, and yet never heard of them being food.
Let's hope it's a thing of the past.
Oh we have that in the Philippines..it's salted. If you've seen those purplish eggs, size a bit bigger than the normal ones, they are those. Eat it with rice as very salty and unhealthy lols.
I don't mind those stinky French cheese, they're nice lols
The smell is very close to that of the smelly french cheese. I think once you've tried durian, everything else is a big joke.
And you're right, with rice it's pretty tasty.
I'm a salty girl anyway :)
Haha aweful smelly and tasty piece of fruit..have u tried the durian candies lols???
I have. Those are nothing compared to the evil fruit from hell!
Tasty thu..if u cant stand the smell, there is always jackfruit. U want a lesson on bitcoin???
Hahaha! I love your no transition convos. Get on Discord!
I don't know how you did it, but you just convinced me I should try a 100 old egg.
I love trying local food, try to do it where ever I go. Sometimes it's a bit hard when everything around you are just tourist commercial restaurants.
Great post!
EGGXELLENT! You'll be receiving your 100 year-old egg by post shortly.
Next up: tarantulas from Cambodia and crickets from Thailand.
Bon appetit :)
You should try grilled baby grasshoppers..very tasty☺☺
I did! In Laos or Thailand, can't remember. But I do have a video of that somewhere...
We did it during rice harvest☺
Thank you, a great post and so true. Food is the best way to show respect to your host, and in all cases food is the way of the host to show respect and appreciation for his guests.
Very true Johann. It's reciprocal for sure. Did you try it when you were in China?
I love these eggs and I love how you've written about them :)
One way my friend used to cook with these eggs was do steamed scrambled eggs with chopped up bits of this preserved egg and salted egg in it. It was yummilicious! Thanks for the beautiful reminder of one of my fave Chinese delicacies :)
That might be the best way to get foreigners to try it... hidden amongst a bunch of other normal, or should I say
boringclassic egg bits ;)I love it too @redrica and funnily enough, I had never tried in HK.
Haha maybe so ;)
Yea I guess it's not something you'd find very commonly in HK cafes/restaurants dishes, but it's easy enough to buy in markets for home cooking. Here in the UK, it's the same, you wouldn't find it as a common dish in a standard Chinese restaurant, I can get it in a Chinese supermarket at least, but not for very cheap.
Je n'en avais jamais vus en vrai, c'est très étonnant en effet. Ils semblent plus beaux fermés que coupés ^^. Par contre, je ne suis vraiment pas convaincue d'avoir envie d'y goûter hum... @osmosis
Merci de ta visite Marie. Je pense que si tu aimes les fromages qui puent, l'oeuf de 100 ans n'est pas si terrible que ca. Avec un peu de riz, ca passe bien :)
lol d'accord ^^ Tout dépendant du fromage bien sûr...
Oui. Ma référence de base c'est le fromage qui pu 😜
Et bien tu as eu du cran d'avaler ça haha ! L'apparence douteuse ne donne pas vraiment envie mais l'essentiel c'est que tu as joué le jeu et cela t'as sûrement permis de créer des liens avec les locaux :)
Exactement! C'est pour la bonne cause :) Merci @mayrie28
: D ehehe is an idea like eating a piece of history.
unusual :) I believe it can be really tasty.
but I could not accept the idea of eating that egg: D
I am not sure :)
thanks for giving me interesting information :)
Haha, yes it sounds a bit too much for a lot of people.
You're lucky you only get the visuals and not the smell through the screen :)
Your are one daring French woman! I was in awe when I saw you trying the hundred year old egg but then to see the embryonic duck egg mentioned too? You have my respect ✊! (silly emoji if you ask me but I just had to do it.)
Wow. I would have just said all that yummy, but somewhat stinky goodiness. Your articulation of the food subject is far superior to mine.
Hope you both are safe, happy, and enjoying the world wherever you are at the moment!
Thank you sweet @beeyou. Your kindness is truly appreciated.
(don't ever try the embryonic duck egg - use the allergy card on that one... it's super gross and sad, it will break your heart)
Too late! Apparently, I was quite spoiled for being a farmer's daughter in a third world country in my toddler years. My delicacy of choice up to the age of three was the embryonic duck egg, which at the time of war and poverty, cost my parents a fortune with their small earnings.
Let's just say from what they told me (because I obviously would never ever have eaten them if I had known), I preferred the fuzzy ones. Super ewww. I am so happy I can't recall one moment of that time!
~hugs~ thanks for stopping by my blog. No one ever stops by except by favorite friends. Comment includes your significant other.
NO WAAAY!! Where are you from???
The real "fuzzy" one is the one I had as well... had to wash it down with a lot of rice wine. It was torture. I left the head... just couldn't do it.
My family is from Cambodia. I've never been myself. This was during the genocide in the 20th century. My parents were fortunate enough to escape the war and took refugee in a neighboring country's refugee camp. They later came to the US and worked hard to give me this superfluous talent to spend on steemit. :)
I must have been quite a brat back then. My toddler is a spoiled one in his terrible twos, so I can only imagine I must have been the same.
I can't believe you dared to try the duck egg! With help of rice wine, of course.
Have you ever tried the duck blood delicacy of Vietnam? My hubby and his friends enjoy that dish for gatherings. Back when we lived in California (in the US), they would order this dish from a home caterer. Apparently, the dish is made by hanging a duck upside down, slitting the duck's neck, while alive, draining the blood into a platter, mix it with ingredients, and let the coagulated blood 'cook'. It's some sort of dip with shrimp chips.
I would never try that dish, ever. It's truly inhumane.
I bet they worked hard... that's one hell of a tough life to live. They were very fortunate to escape Pol Pot and his psychotic Khmer Rouge troops.
"superfluous talent" HA! No way... you are a part of the positive changes this world needs - I think we'll all realize this in the years to come.
That blood thing sounds disgusting. Although I have tried "Boudin", the creole blood sausage, a few times. Not a massive fan, but it's edible... if you're starving! (I did try rat, scorpion, and - i'm gonna get lynched - dog in VN though)
Having grown up in the US I don’t truly comprehend their lives during those years of a ‘psychotic’ dictatorship and I know you used the description in the nicest way possible. Every day I feel blessed that I was given the opportunity to have a better life and to pass it along to my children.
Me being part of a positive change? Lol, why thank you for your positivity. I have yet to boycott cookies and Doritos 🙄. On my list to take gradual steps, I promise.
I’m only a speck of metadata in this Steemit world of ours. My belief though, if someone buys you a cup of coffee, you treat them back to one. Being anonymous on here doesn’t excuse your human morals being put to sh**.
Let’s hope there are no dog lovers on here. WOW. My respect for you has doublefold. I have yet to try those dishes. I think I will just ask you about the taste and texture for these dishes instead of experiencing myself.
amazing.. phapography..
I appreciate your food. thanks for sharing..
Wow amazing photography post......
I appreciate your food post......
Thanks for sharing.......
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OMG 100 Years ! This is amazing !! Enjoyed it my friend !!
Namaste !
Thank you @akkha :)
You are welcome my friend !