Century Egg - Onolicious Hawaiʻi

Century eggs are preserved eggs made from chicken, duck, or quail eggs. They're deep amber in color with creamy and rich grey-green yolk. It's intense and pungent (in a good way, think blue cheese!)

Century eggs are popular in Chinese dishes and often paired with rice and tofu in recipes. Here's everything you need to know about century eggs, including where to eat it and how to cook with it. ^_^

Two peeled and halved century eggs on a plate. — *Century eggs, peeled and halved.*

What Are Century Eggs?

Behold, the century egg!! This is one of my favorite types of eggs. It is mysterious, and most importantly, delicious.

Century egg is a preserved egg. It's preserved in a mixture clay, ash, salt, quicklime, and rice hulls. Depending on the preservation method, it can be preserved for anywhere between a few weeks and several months (not a century haha).

Century egg are made from chicken, duck, or quail eggs. Duck is the most popular option.

The final preserved egg looks nothing like the original egg. The color and texture is completely transformed into something complex and elegant. It's dark in color and very funky (almost like cheese) in flavor.

A century is considered "cooked." It doesn't need to be cooked any further before you eat it. You can simply peel, slice, and serve.

Century eggs are used in many Chinese dishes. It's so potent tasting, so the eggs are often paired with a plain ingredient like rice (to make congee/jook). It's also popular as the main ingredient in appetizers, with the sliced eggs topped with a simple dressing and herbs or paired with tofu.

A box of unpeeled century eggs. — *Individually wrapped century eggs.*

Century Egg Name

Century eggs go by many different names:

Pidan, Pi Dan, Peidan, or Pei Dan - This is usually what we call it at home, it’s also a common name in Hawaii.
Preserved Eggs - Another popular name often seen on restaurant menus.
Thousand Year Old Eggs / 1000 Year Old Egg
Hundred Year Old Eggs
Millennium Eggs
Pine Flower Eggs - You can sometimes see delicate patterns on the surface of the egg whites. The patterns look similar to pine branches. This is an indication of a very high quality century egg.
...and of course, Century Eggs!

However you call it, they are delicious.

Two unpeeled century eggs on a table. — *Unpeeled century egg.*

Century Egg Taste

The yolks are where all the flavor is at. The yolks are grey-green in color. They have a super creamy texture, almost like a soft cheese. It's bold and pungent. The flavor is very distinct, with a slight hint of ammonia.

Some people liken the flavor of the preserved yolks to a cross between blue cheese and oysters.

The egg whites are a translucent amber-copper color. They have a smooth jelly-like texture. The egg whites are a little salty but don't have as much flavor (similar to "regular" egg whites).

A half peeled century egg. — *Peeling a century egg.*

Where To Buy Century Egg

You can buy century eggs from most Chinese markets.

They are usually kept near the refrigerated section. Though at some markets they are stored directly in the refrigerated section next to the regular eggs.

The eggs are preserved, so no need to refrigerate them. Just keep them in a cool place. But you can refrigerate them you'd like.

The eggs are typically sold in 6 packs with each egg individually wrapped.

Two unpeeled century eggs on a plate. — *Two peeled century eggs.*

Peeled century eggs keep 1-2 days in the refrigerator. But as a general rule, I do not peel the eggs until right before I'm ready to use them.

Peel the eggs the same way you peel hard boiled eggs. Quickly rinse them under running water (to clean). Then tap the egg on a counter top to crack the shell. Peel and discard the shell. The egg is ready to eat!

Century Egg and Tofu dish at Seasons Taiwanese Eatery.

Century egg and tofu from Seasons Taiwanese Eatery in Honolulu Chinatown.

Where To Eat Century Egg

There are many different preparations for century eggs at Chinese restaurants and dim sum places. Here are a few we love in Honolulu:

Tim Ho Wan in Waikiki, Ginger & Garlic, and Lam's Kitchen in Chinatown serve Congee/Jook with Century Egg and Pork. It is sometimes labeled on the menu as preserved egg.

I often order congee/jook from Lam's Kitchen for takeout. Why? Because in addition to making excellent jook, they also make my favorite you tiao (fried Chinese cruller). Order both! You must eat them together.

I drive my takeout order home, then toast the you tiao and warm the jook on the stove. Serve the jook hot with a side of you tiao...ahh! One of my top meals.

We cut the you tiao into one-inch pieces, dip it briefly into the hot jook, and then dip it into a little dish of Maggi with chopped Thai chili peppers. Eat! So delicious ^_^

Dew Drop Inn on S Beretania Street serves century eggs with tofu and cilantro.

Seasons Taiwanese Eatery also serves century egg and tofu. Here's how to make it at home.

Honolulu Skewer House on Kapahulu Avenue and Khan Skewer Restaurant on Isenberg Street serve versions of this dish, they call it the Thousand Year Egg Tofu Salad.

P.S. At Benu in San Francisco, they serve a tiny century egg (made from quail eggs). It is gorgeous.

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

Century Egg Recipes

There are many ways to eat century eggs. You can incorporate them into dishes, or they can be the main element of a dish:

Century Egg and Tofu (pictured above)
This recipe layers diced century eggs over silken soft tofu. We season it with a little soy sauce and sesame oil, then top with green onions. A very refreshing dish, served chilled. It takes only five ingredients and five minutes to prepare. Eat it with rice!

Spinach with Century Egg and Salted Duck Egg
This is a simple and super flavorful stir fry dish of spinach cooked with garlic. Slices of century egg and salted duck egg are simmered with a little chicken broth until soft and slightly falling apart, and then combined with the spinach. Season with white pepper. Eat hot, with rice.

Note: this dish is traditionally made with yin choy. But yin choy is not so easy to find, so we use spinach.

Spinach with Century Egg, Salted Duck Egg, and Regular Egg
This is the same as the recipe above but with the addition of a regular egg. Whereas the century eggs and salted duck eggs are simply sliced and simmered, the regular egg is beaten and swirled directly into the chicken stock (in the same style of egg drop soup). The three eggs are then poured over the salted spinach.

Century Egg Salad
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 include lots of garlic and herbs to give the "salad" a bright, fresh taste. Best enjoyed as a side dish. Serve at room temperature.

Congee/Jook with Century Egg and Pork (pictured above)
This is a very classic way to enjoy century eggs, and perhaps the most popular. We make congee/jook and then stir in thinly sliced pork and chopped century eggs. You can find this dish at many Chinese and dim sum restaurants. It's very nourishing and one of my favorite dishes to eat during cold weather (or when I'm feeling under the weather).

Three Colored Egg
This is a fun dish that uses three types of eggs: regular eggs, century eggs, and salted duck eggs. It's similar to our Chinese Steamed Egg, but we take it one step further by gently adding sliced century eggs and salted ducks eggs into the egg mixture before steaming.

Century Egg with Pickled Ginger
This is an easy to make appetizer. We often this at the start of a big meal. To prepare, slice the century egg into wedges (about 8 wedges per egg). Arrange them nicely on a place and place a small mound of thinly sliced pickled ginger in the middle. Eat a slice of century egg with a few pieces of pickled ginger, it's an excellent pairing.

P.S. Sometimes we first dip the century egg wedges into a little dish of sugar, and then eat it with the pickled ginger. Give it a try ^_^