Tea Eggs

I remember my grandmother making Tea Eggs for me as a child.  I don't think it was associated with any occasion, more like comfort food on cool/cold days.  It doesn't get very cold in Vietnam, but when the monsoon season hits the weather is miserable.  It's nice to stay indoors and eat a warm bowl of tea eggs.  This is a quick and healthy snack, also very easy to make.  If you can boil water you can make this.
The quail eggs are from my mother ^_^  She had 2 quails, but unfortunately one was eaten by a raccoon.  Vicious creatures!

Ingredients:
6 cups of water
4-5 tea bags (black tea)
4-5 eggs (more if you use quail eggs)
3/4 cups of brown sugar (less or more depending on taste)

Hard boil the eggs, peel and set them aside for the tea.  Boil 6 cups of water, then add tea bags and peeled eggs. Set the temp to low and steep for about 30min or longer if you like darker/stronger tea. Fish out the spent tea bags and add sugar.  Ta Da!  You're done!


To serve ladle a healthy portion of the sweet tea and an egg into a small bowl.  You can also use quail eggs for a more intense yolk flavor.

There's an alternative recipe without the broth and more spices, a popular method with the Mainlanders.  I've never made it, but the crackle/marbling effect on the egg is beautiful.

The crackle effect is done by soft boiling the eggs, cracking the shell and immersing it in the steeping tea.  Usually in this method you do not drink the tea/broth.