Century Egg and Tofu

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Silken soft tofu paired with century eggs make a delicious side dish! We season with a mix of soy sauce and sesame oil. Top with green onions and served chilled. All you need are five ingredients and five minutes to make this wonderful dish.

A bowl of silken tofu and diced century eggs with soy sauce, sesame oil, and green onions. — *Century Egg and Tofu, ready to eat ^_^*

Why This Recipe Works

Century eggs (aka pi dan) and tofu is a classic combination. You might have seen variations on this dish at Chinese restaurants, but I love our simple homemade version the home.

It's elegant and so easy to prepare. Topped with a drizzle of soy sauce and sesame oil, this makes a wonderful side dish or simple meal. Just make sure to pair it with a bowl of rice or congee/jook.

We use silken soft tofu for this recipe. As the name suggests, this is a very delicate and silky tofu. It is an ideal pairing with the richer and bold flavors of century egg.

The soy sauce and sesame oil brings the tofu and century eggs together and add another layer of flavor. We top with green onions for even more flavor and a nice texture contrast.

This dish is served cool (not cold, straight from the refrigerator).

Century Eggs

Century eggs go by a few different names:

Century Eggs
Pi Dan (this is what we call it at home, it's also a common name in Hawaii)
Thousand Year Old Eggs
Millennium Eggs
Preserved Eggs
Pine Flower Eggs

However you call it, they are delicious!

Century eggs are preserved. They have a distinct flavor with very creamy, rich yolk. The egg whites turn into a translucent, deep amber and the yolks into a grey-green color.

You can purchase century eggs from most Chinese supermarkets. They're usually kept near the refrigerated area (and sometimes they are stored directly in the refrigerated area). They often come in a pack of six eggs. We use two eggs for this recipe.

You don't need to refrigerate the eggs, but they should be stored in a cool area. The eggs are already considered "cooked" and ready to eat. All you need to do is peel the shell (make sure to rinse it under running water first). Then sliced or dice the eggs. Then eat!

Learn more about century eggs (including where to eat them in Hawaii, and how to cook with them).

Ingredients

Silken soft tofu
Century eggs
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Green onions, chopped

Step By Step Directions

There's no real cooking involved in the recipe. Just assembling! Here's how:

Prepare the tofu.
Remove the silken soft tofu from the box and cut into cubes.

Pro Tip: Silken soft tofu is very, very delicate. Be gentle when removing the tofu from the box and when slicing it.

Prepare the eggs.
Rinse and shell the century eggs. Gently cube the eggs and set aside.

Drain water.
Drain any excess water that might have seeped from the tofu (the longer you leave the tofu out, the more water will seep out of it). Scatter the diced century eggs over the top of the tofu..

Season.
Drizzle the soy sauce and sesame oil over the tofu and century eggs.

Note: If you have an extra minute, some people like to mix the soy sauce and sesame oil together in a small bowl and then drizzle that mixture over the tofu and eggs. They say it makes for a more "even" dressing.

Finish and serve.
Top with the chopped green onions. Serve immediately and enjoy ^_^

A bowl of silken tofu and sliced century eggs with soy sauce, sesame oil, and green onions. — *Century Egg and Tofu, with the tofu and egg sliced (instead of diced) ^_^*

FAQs and Tips

How long does this dish keep?

It does not keep (as the tofu will seep more water over time). You can prepare the ingredients ahead of time, but don't assemble everything together until right before you eat.

Different ways to present this dish.

We typical cube the tofu and century eggs (and then place the century eggs on top of the tofu), but there are many different ways to present this dish.

Another popular presentation style is done by thinly slicing the tofu and cutting the century eggs into wedges. Keep the rectangular tofu shape intact and place it in the center of a large shallow dish. Surround it on either side by the century egg wedges.

What to pair with this dish?

Rice! Or plain jook/congee. We usually serve this as a side alongside few other dishes. Because this is a cold dish, you want to pair it with hot dishes.

I like to eat this with rice/jook/congee plus dishes like Chinese steamed fish, Spicy Wontons, Chive and Egg Stir Fry, Steamed Ginger Chicken, Garlic and Fish Sauce Ong Choy, or Chinese Sausage (Lap Cheong) and Green Beans.

Popular additions.

A popular addition to this dish is pork sung / pork floss. Add it over the century eggs (and before you top with the green onions).

You can also mix some oyster sauce into the soy sauce and sesame oil mixture. Mix all three ingredients together before drizzling over the tofu and century eggs.

If you're looking for a little extra heat and spice, chop fresh Thai chili peppers and sprinkle that over the prepared dish.

Subsitutions.

Use chopped cilantro instead of green onions. Or use a combination of cilantro and green onions.

Love century eggs?

So do we ^_^ Make sure to try this recipe for century egg and pork jook/congee.