Tea Eggs (茶叶蛋)

Place eggs in a medium pot and cover with cold water by about an inch. Add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the water (this helps prevent cracking and makes peeling easier). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes for hard-boiled eggs.

While the eggs are boiling, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Once cooked, immediately transfer the eggs to the ice bath using a slotted spoon. Let them cool completely for at least 5-10 minutes.

Once cooled, gently tap each egg all over with the back of a spoon or the blunt end of a knife until the shell is finely cracked, creating a web-like pattern. Be careful not to remove large pieces of the shell; the goal is to create small cracks for the marinade to seep through. The inner membrane should remain largely intact.

In the same pot (or a clean pot), combine 4 cups of water (or enough to cover the cracked eggs later), black tea bags/leaves, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce (if using), star anise, cinnamon stick, sugar, salt, and any other optional spices like Sichuan peppercorns, bay leaves, or dried orange peel. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.

Once the marinade is boiling, reduce the heat to low and carefully add the cracked eggs to the pot. Ensure the eggs are submerged in the liquid. If needed, add a little more water to just cover the eggs.

Simmer the eggs gently in the marinade for at least 1 hour, or up to 2-3 hours for a deeper flavor and darker marbling. If simmering uncovered, you may need to add more water periodically to keep the eggs submerged.

Turn off the heat and let the eggs cool in the marinade. For the best flavor and marbling effect, transfer the eggs and marinade to a container and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or ideally overnight (24 hours is even better). The longer they steep, the more flavorful and visually stunning they will be.

When ready to serve, remove the eggs from the marinade and gently peel off the shells to reveal the beautiful marbled pattern. Tea eggs can be enjoyed cold, at room temperature, or gently reheated in the marinade.

Note: The leftover marinade can be strained, boiled, and frozen for future batches of tea eggs or for braising other ingredients like tofu or meat.