A simple and delicious dish! Century Egg Salad (also called Pidan Salad) is made by topping sliced century eggs with a savory dressing made of soy sauce and rice vinegar. We add lots of garlic and herbs to give it a bright, fresh taste. Enjoy as a side dish served at room temperature ^_^
Century eggs might seem exotic or unusual to some, but like any unusual ingredient, it is common to many others. Most importantly, it is delicious!
Century eggs are preserved duck eggs. They are stored at room temperature and usually sold in 4 or 6 packs at Chinese supermarkets.
You need a pack of century eggs for this dish. We shell the eggs and then slice them into wedges.
Next we make a simple dressing from soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. And add lots of garlic and fresh herbs.
We pour that dressing over the sliced eggs, and tadah, it is ready to eat! This is meant to be a side dish that is served at room temperature. Enjoy with rice ^_^
If you love century eggs, try making other dishes like Century Egg and Tofu and Congee with Century Egg and Pork.
Jump to:
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need:
- Century eggs - There are a few places that sell century eggs online, but I like to buy these from the store. You can find them at most Chinese markets.
- Soy sauce
- Rice vinegar
- Sesame oil
- Garlic
- Green onion
- Cilantro
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Let's get cooking!
Peel and slice each century egg into wedges. We like to cut each egg into 4 wedges.
Arrange the wedges on a plate. You can arrange them in any style, but making a circle/ring in a circular bowl is quite pretty. Or if you have a rectangular plate, arrange them side by side in a line.
In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, green onion, and cilantro.
Pour the sauce over the century eggs. Serve and enjoy!
It is most delicious at room temperature ^_^
What Is A Century Egg?
Century eggs go by a few different names:
- Century Egg
- Pidan
- Preserved Egg
- Hundred Year Egg
- Thousand Year Egg
Century eggs are most commonly made with duck eggs. The duck eggs are preserved for a few months (definitely not a hundred or thousand years haha).
Learn everything you need to know about century eggs in this post. We LOVE eating century eggs ^_^
Substitutions and Variations
There are many variations you can do with this recipe:
- Chili peppers - add chopped chili peppers (pick any kind you like!) to the dressing. We often add Thai red chili pepper.
- Chili crisp or chili oil - mix a spoonful of chili crisp or chili oil to the dressing.
- Sugar - add a tiny pinch of sugar to the sauce for balance.
- Sizzle the garlic - Place the minced garlic in a bowl. Heat the sesame oil in a small pan until just before it starts to smoke. Then pour the sesame oil over the garlic to "sizzle/cook" the garlic. Super fragrant! Then add all the other sauce ingredients into the bowl and mix. If you're using chili peppers, you can also add the chili peppers with the garlic and sizzle both ingredients.
Enjoy ^_^
Storage
Century egg salad will keep overnight in refrigerator in a sealed container, but it's best enjoyed within a few hours of making the dish.
If storing in the refrigerator, let it come to room temperature before serving.
Top Tip
Take care when slicing the century eggs as the egg whites can often break and the egg yellows can stick to the knife.
To slice the century eggs nice and clean, make sure to use a sharp knife. Run the knife under hot running water and wipe with a paper towel between every slice. This will ensure that you get professional and clean looking slices.
FAQ
You've come to the right place! First read our complete guide to Century Eggs (it's a quick overview that covers everything you need to know).
Then try a few popular recipes like Century Egg and Tofu and Congee with Century Egg and Pork.
Many people say that century eggs taste a bit like blue cheese. I can see that! It definitely has a funk, a creamy funk. It's intense and super pungent.
Texture-wise, the whites are like jelly and the yellows are really rich and creamy. You got to try it at least once! I hope you will love it ^_^
You always need a bowl of rice! Century egg salad is a side dish, so you need a main dish to go with it. We like to make something simple like Ginger Pork, Steamed Ginger Chicken, or Local-Style Chicken Tofu.
Century Egg Salad Recipe
Century Egg Salad
Ingredients
- 3 century eggs
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 stalk green onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Peel and slice each century egg into wedges (we like to do 4 wedges per egg). Arrange them on a plate.
- In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, green onion, and cilantro.
- Pour the sauce over the century eggs. Serve and enjoy! It's most delicious at room temperature ^_^
Nutrition
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Mahalo for Reading!