I know this post is a little late, but I didn’t get time around Easter to edit the photos. I wanted to share this year’s Easter eggs with you. It is such a fun adventure to color them, don’t you think? We used food colors last year. You can read about it in this post.
This year, I wanted to try Chinese marbled tea eggs. The eggs are hard-boiled and cooled first. A pot of tea is prepared and other ingredients, mainly soy sauce, is added. Then the eggshells are lightly cracked (for the marbled look), and simmered in the tea solution and left to cool again, for at least a few hours or even overnight. Which means that you have to plan in advance to make them.
I found different recipes online that called for varying amounts of soy sauce, simmering and steeping times. I think the results will vary depending on all these factors. Here is how mine turned out.
Not bad, eh? Now, take a look at those pretty shells.
The shells looked so pretty, I felt bad tossing them! The eggs themselves have a subtle, lovely flavor of tea and soy sauce.
Here is the recipe that I referred to. I did not use any spices, but you could add some for flavor.
You will need:
- Eggs – 4
- Black tea powder – 2 tbsp
- Soy sauce – 1/4 – 1/2 cup
- Sugar – 1 tsp
- Vinegar – 1 tbsp
- Spices like cinnamon, star anise, citrus rinds, etc (optional)
How to:
- Hard-boil the eggs first and let them cool. (Use this trick for perfect hard-boiled eggs every time.) Gently tap on the shells with the back of a spoon, to crack them. The more cracks they have, the more intricate the design will be.
- Simmer a pot of water with the rest of the ingredients. When it boils, return the eggs to the pot and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Make sure there is enough liquid to fully submerge the eggs.
- Once done, cover the pot and let the eggs steep in the solution for at least a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator. (Longer time means deeper color and flavor.)
- Peel, admire and devour those eggs!
And since Boy couldn’t contribute much to this, I let him watercolor a hard-boiled egg. I drew some flowers, and he colored them. I did have to touch them up a bit to define the flower shapes. Don’t tell him that, though!
If you are making watercolor eggs, make sure to use non-toxic paint and also consume them fast, because the paint may seep into the shells, if you use a lot of paint.
Look at that proud smile! And yes, he also got many, many eggs on egg hunts and from the Easter bunny!
This year, we were also introduced to Cascarones or confetti eggs. I know what I will be doing for next Easter!
Have you tried any of the above egg coloring methods? What’s your favorite? Do share in the comments.
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- By Stephanie Lynn
What a fun idea! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for visiting, Sarah!
Love marbled tea eggs! yours turned out beautifully! It looked like heaps of fun to paint the other eggs with watercolors! 🙂
I loved how they turned out too! And we sure had fun with the paints too. Thanks for visiting!!
These look really beautiful Anjana! & ur lil guy looks so happy with his bounty, ha ha 😀
Thank you! He sure was a happy guy over the Easter weekend. Kids!!
I love this- what fun! Sounds tasty too (I would feel badly throwing out the shells too!) I may not be able to wait until next Easter…. 🙂
Thank you!
No need to wait for Easter. Any time is egg decorating time 😉
The Chinese marbled eggs are stunning! I have to try this. Thanks so much for sharing. Hmm … and suitable even for non-Easter, which is always so much better. Any excuse for egg-dying. 🙂
Thanks for visiting! I hope you try them.
Oh my goodness…Anjana!! I LOVE this!! I’m so intrigued…I have to try these!! First, I love how they look, they’re so pretty…such a wonderful edible conversation piece for dinner, brunch, breakfast, lunch…actually anytime of the day, really!! I really want to know how that soy and the egg taste.. I think it would be so delicious…
I’m so glad you brought these for Fiesta Friday…thank you so much for sharing them with everyone…I think they’ll all think the same as me! How totally cool… <3 Just wonderful!!
Thank you so so so very much for the lovely comment.
These would make a lovely centerpiece at dinners. You can friends over and crack the eggs together!
The eggs have a subtle tea, soy sauce flavor. I was wondering if orange rinds can be used to enhance it.
Thanks again for the kind words and do try some marbling!!
Anjana- these look so so good. How beautiful. I have not seen anything like this before- I just keep scrolling up and looking at them. 🙂
Thank you, Aditi!
Aren’t they pretty? They are so easy, and don’t require much hands-on time. Why don’t you try making some?
beautiful work of art!
Thank you, Apsara!
Absolutely beautiful!
Thanks Alex!
Chinese marbled tea eggs are so much fun to make and ever so tasty. I haven’t made them in ages. You have inspired me – I am going to make some this weekend. Best Torie
They are really cute too! Go make some this weekend!!
Wow, the eggs look amazing. Neat work Anjana.
Thank you so much, Namrata!
Visting your blog for the first time as you dropped by mine and I can instantly see that I love it: marbled tea eggs are one of these beautiful dishes I love to make for Easter (or chinese style dinner parties) 🙂
Thanks for visiting, Afra. I loved those marbled eggs too. Next time, I will be trying them with different hues (natural, of course!).
Do visit more often. I’ll be honored!
Stunning…beautiful…gorgeous. 🙂
Thank you, Nancy!
What an artist you are Anjana! I loved the Chinese eggs! But I liked your flower painted water color eggs more. The “touch ups” are gorgeous! Amazing work.
I would never use that word to describe myself… Haha!
Thanks Sonal!
Love the happy grin on his face! And of course, amazing marbling!
He sure had fun! Thank you, Priya.
Absolutely beautiful!
Thank you, Aruna!