Tea Egg Spices

• Tea eggs are a hearty Chinese snack made from boiling eggs in tea and spices. The spiced tea mixture is made by combining two black tea bags with an array of spice that range from soy sauce to anise to cinnamon.

Soy Sauce and Salt

• Soy sauce is a popular condiment and ingredient throughout Asia. It is made from fermented soy beans and is a brown and salty liquid. One tablespoon of soy sauce is used to create the tea egg spiced mixture, and it is what helps to give the tea eggs their marbled appearance. One teaspoon of salt, a mineral made of sodium chloride, is also added to the spiced mixture for flavoring.

Cinnamon, Sugar and Anise

• A cinnamon stick or a teaspoon of cinnamon is a part of the tea egg spiced mixture. This spice is harvested from tree bark and adds a sweet and aromatic scent and taste to the mixture, along with the addition of sugar for even more sweetness. Anise pieces are also added, giving it a sweet, licorice flavor. Mandarin peel and black pepper are optional additions to the spice mixture.

Black Tea

• Black tea leaves come from a plant called Camellia sinensis. It is a strong tea that contains caffeine and can be made into a variety of flavors. The back tea in tea eggs is also what contributes to its marbled appearance when the boiled and cracked egg soaks in the tea and spice mixture.