Century Eggs (2024)

FAQs

Are century eggs actually 100? ›

A century egg is not really 100 years old.

As you can see, the eggs came covered in a crumbly brown mixture. Once this layer of mulch is broken off, the eggshell is peeled away just like a hard-boiled egg. After a quick rinse, it's ready to eat. No cooking necessary.

The transforming agent in the century egg is an alkaline salt, which gradually raises the pH of the egg to around 9–12, during the curing process. This chemical process breaks down some of the complex, flavorless proteins and fats, which produces a variety of smaller flavorsome compounds.

But why are they black? The century egg's distinct hue comes from the Maillard reaction, a natural browning effect that's accelerated in a highly alkaline environment. Sodium hydroxide is alkaline. As it breaks down the egg's protein into glucose and amino acids, the two chemicals react.

Higher Nutritional Protein Than A Regular Egg

The Chinese view the century egg as a good protein snack because of how high in protein it is. Like carbs, protein is a nutrient vital for a person's health and acts as the body's fuel, as we are all aware.

The eggs are high in calories. So it's essential to consume them in moderation. Limiting your intake of century eggs to 1 or 2 eggs per day is recommended as a general guideline. It allows you to enjoy their unique flavor and nutritional benefits without over consuming them.

(A spoiled century egg has a strong ammonia scent.)

Black or green spots inside the egg may be the result of bacterial or fungal contamination of the egg. If you come across an egg with black or green spots discard the egg. Off color egg whites, such as green or iridescent colors may be from spoilage due to bacteria.

Century Egg Taste & Appearance

Century eggs are ready-to-eat. You do not need to cook them. Simply peel to eat like you would a hard boiled egg. Once you peel the shell, you will see the egg whites are a translucent amber black color with a firm jelly-like texture.

You can find these, often in packs of four or six, in most Asian supermarkets or specialty stores. Since they've been preserved—usually in some mixture of lime and salt—they'll probably be sitting around on a shelf, unrefrigerated. They may also go by song hua dan, or pine flower egg, named after the salt patterns.

Do century eggs smell? ›

The common description of its aroma as akin to hair dye or ammonia can be attributed to the egg proteins breaking down and consequently forming ammonia and hydrogen sulphide. This is all to say that the century egg is a complex thing, often derided for its appearance and unusual texture and aroma.

Children&Baby. Children can't eat Century eggs, because preserved eggs contain a lot of lead, which will affect the baby's development, which is not good for the child's body. Lead will be stored in the liver, not conducive to the body.

They don't even need to be kept in the fridge, though this increases their shelf life even further. The eggs can last for months in a pantry, but can theoretically remain good to eat indefinitely if they're kept chilled — though they probably won't last for an actual century.

Ideally, century eggs are made by storing raw eggs for a few months in a mixture of wood ash, salt, lime, and maybe tea with rice straw or clay. The alkaline chemicals raise the pH of the egg to 9–12 or even higher and break down some of the proteins and fats in the egg into flavorful molecules.

Century Eggs are known for having a strong sulfuric smell. This is caused by the presence of lactic acid bacteria present inside the eggshells. These bacteria produce acetic acid when they metabolize sugars from the egg whites.

Let's have a look a the second question first: Culinary lore has it that the 100 folds in a chef's hat represent the 100 ways to cook an egg; although in Escoffier's standard tome of French cooking, “Guide Culinaire” from 1903, you'll find 143 ways to prepare an egg.

If made properly, century eggs are completely safe. There was once a rumour that century eggs were made by soaking them in horse urine, but that's not true. If you buy your century eggs from a shop, check the label to make sure they weren't made with lead oxide – eating foods with lead oxide can be harmful.

The next day, duck, quail or chicken eggs are added to the mixture, and they soak anywhere from seven weeks to five months – not for a century as the name implies. The century egg also goes by many other names, such as hundred-year egg, thousand-year egg or millennium egg.

Ideally, century eggs are made by storing raw eggs for a few months in a mixture of wood ash, salt, lime, and maybe tea with rice straw or clay. The alkaline chemicals raise the pH of the egg to 9–12 or even higher and break down some of the proteins and fats in the egg into flavorful molecules.