How To Make Taiwan Iron Egg
Iron Egg is a famous Chinese snack in Tamsui District, New Taipei City, Taiwan, China. It is an egg snack derived from marinated eggs. The production of iron eggs is very time-consuming. Every day, the brine must be marinated with soy sauce and five-spice sauce. Every day, after hours brine process, then dried with the natural wind. It must be made every day according to this procedure. It lasts for a week to complete the production of iron eggs. But if we follow the normal iron egg recipe, it will take much time to make it. But we think we can make a simpler recipe with fewer changes in the taste.
There is two version story about this Chinese snack. Firstly, Huang Zhangxuan(Chinese name is 黄张哖) had a retail section that sold spiced corned eggs. On a rainy day, due to poor business, the spiced corned egg kept returning to the pot. Because the sea breeze kept blowing the marinated eggs, the eggs become smaller and darker. Finally, the eggs become chewier and more delicious than before marinated eggs. But she didn’t know that it need to register a trademark to protect her named eggs (Grandpa Iron Egg). That one person called Yang Biyun (Chinese name is 杨碧云) register the trademark and learned the technology. After that, most people bought the eggs from the Yang Biyun and didn’t know the store of Huang Zhangxuan.
Another way of saying it is that Ms. Yang Biyun, who runs a breakfast restaurant and also sells marinated eggs. One day, Yang Biyun did not intend to marinate the eggs for too long, and the eggs became harder and darker. It tasted very delicious than before. After that, Ms. Yang called this egg “iron egg”. Yang Biyun originally wanted to name this delicacy “Yuanzu Iron Egg”, but there was a chain store of “Yuanzu Food” specializing in selling mochi. In order not to infringe the patent right with the same name as Yuanzu, so Yang Biyun called this iron egg as the name. It’s called “Grandpa Iron Egg”. But most people think this version is not an untrue story. In 1983, Yang Biyun was too young to be called “Grandma”. That’s why most people like the first story about this Chinese snack.
Although this snack is very delicious, we should not eat it too much. Because it uses some spices like star anises. Star anise itself is a kind of spice and seasoning, and it is also a kind of Chinese medicinal material with the same origin as medicine and food. It is relatively dry and hot, so it is not suitable for people with a hot constitution. Please don’t eat it too much, two or three are enough.
How To Make Taiwan Iron Egg
Step 1: Boil Quail Eggs
Firstly, we should boil quail eggs. We wash 24 quail eggs for this food. Then put the quail eggs into the pan. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt into the pan and enough water to immerse the quail eggs. Then use the big fire to boil them. After the water has boiled, cook it for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, soak the cooked quail eggs in cold water for 5 minutes.
You can also use the eggs to cook this snack. But the eggs is hard to dye with the sauce. Maybe you would find that its color lighter.
Boil Quail Eggs
Step 2: Shell Quail Eggs
After 5 minutes, get quail eggs out of the cold water and put them into a plastic food storage container. Make sure the lid is on and then shake it vigorously for about twenty seconds. After the shaking, the quail eggs are easy to shell. If the quail egg is broken, don’t use it to make this food. Shell all of the quail eggs carefully and then use water to wash them. We should clean away the white envelope carefully which will prevent the egg to absorb the sauce if we don’t clean it.
Shell Quail Eggs
Step 3: Prepare Mixed Spices Bag
Next, we should prepare the mixed spices bag. Add 5g star anise, 5 bay leaves, 5g fennel, 5g licorice root, 2 black cardamoms, 5g Chinese cinnamon, 3 slices of ginger into the bag. Then save them for later.
Prepare Mixed Spices Bag
Step 4: Cook Taiwan Iron Egg
Now we can start to cook Taiwan iron eggs. Put the quail eggs into the pan. Then add enough water to immerse them. Then add 1/8 teaspoon soy sauce, 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce, 10g rock sugar, 10g brown sugar, mixed spices bag, a small pack of black tea into the pan. Then use the small fire to boil them. After the water has boiled, use the small fire to cook them for half-hour.
Cook Taiwan Iron Egg
After half hour, discard the black tea and mixed spices bag. Then scoop quail eggs up and air dry them for 20 minutes. Then use the small fire to cook them for 20 minutes. After that, scoop them up and air dry them for 20 minutes again. We should circulate the 20-20 action 6 times and make sure the water can immerse the quail eggs when we cook them. If the water can’t immerse them, add enough water to immerse them.
Circulate The 20-20 Action 6 Times
How To Make Taiwan Iron Egg
Taiwan Iron Egg
Equipment(affiliate link)
Ingredients(affiliate link)
- 24 quail eggs
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 g star anise
- 5 bay leaves
- 5 g fennel
- 5 g licorice root
- 2 black cardamoms
- 5 g Chinese cinnamon
- 3 slices of ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 10 g rock sugar
- 10 g brown sugar
- 1 small pack of black tea
Instructions
- Firstly, we should boil quail eggs. We wash 24 quail eggs for this food. Then put the quail eggs into the pan. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt into the pan and enough water to immerse the quail eggs. Then use the big fire to boil them. After the water has boiled, cook it for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, soak the cooked quail eggs in cold water for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, get quail eggs out of the cold water and put them into a plastic food storage container. Make sure the lid is on and then shake it vigorously for about twenty seconds. After the shaking, the quail eggs are easy to shell. If the quail egg is broken, don't use it to make this food. Shell all of the quail eggs carefully and then use water to wash them. We should clean away the white envelope carefully which will prevent the egg to absorb the sauce if we don't clean it.
- Next, we should prepare the mixed spices bag. Add 5g star anise, 5 bay leaves, 5g fennel, 5g licorice root, 2 black cardamoms, 5g Chinese cinnamon, 3 slices of ginger into the bag. Then save them for later.
- Now we can start to cook Taiwan iron eggs. Put the quail eggs into the pan. Then add enough water to immerse them. Then add 1/8 teaspoon soy sauce, 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce, 10g rock sugar, 10g brown sugar, mixed spices bag, a small pack of black tea into the pan. Then use the small fire to boil them. After the water has boiled, use the small fire to cook them for half-hour. After half hour, discard the black tea and mixed spices bag. Then scoop quail eggs up and air dry them for 20 minutes. Then use the small fire to cook them for 20 minutes. After that, scoop them up and air dry them for 20 minutes again. We should circulate the 20-20 action 6 times and make sure the water can immerse the quail eggs when we cook them. If the water can't immerse them, add enough water to immerse them. After that, we got the delicious Taiwan iron egg. The Iron eggs are full of chewiness if you taste them. It will take much time to cook but I think it will be well worth trying. Hope you like it.
Jack Smith
great recipes, I will make it at home.