century egg
Chinese cured egg
A century egg is a Chinese preserved egg, typically from a duck, that has been cured for weeks or months in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, and alkaline materials.
The process transforms the egg dramatically: the white becomes a translucent dark brown jelly, the yolk turns creamy and greenish-gray, and the flavor becomes intensely savory with ammonia notes.
Despite the name, the preservation takes weeks, not centuries.
Also called hundred-year egg, thousand-year egg, or preserved egg.
Fifth taste sensation
- pungentSharply strong-smelling
- sulfurousContaining yellow element
- ammoniacalContaining nitrogen compound
- funkyRhythmic and soulful
earthy · creamy · rich · savory · briny · complex · acquired taste · challenging
Watery rice porridge
- dim sumChinese small-plate tradition
- tofuCoagulated soy milk block
- pickled gingerPreserved root in brine
- soy sauceFermented bean condiment
sesame oil · scallion · rice porridge · appetizer · cold plate · silken tofu · chili oil · black vinegar
Having high pH
- curingRestoring health or preserving
- clayMoldable earth for ceramics
- ashCombustion's powdery remains
- saltSodium chloride compound
lime · fermentation · aging · shelf-stable · traditional · pickling · chemical reaction · coagulation
Permitting diffused light passage
- amberHardened ancient tree secretion
- gelatinousViscous and semisolid
- jade-greenPale bluish-green shade
- marbledStreaked with irregular patterns
dark · jiggly · crystalline · black · glossy · albumen · striking · distinctive
Inherited cultural legacy
- Chinese cuisineFood traditions from Asia's largest nation
- ancestralOf one's forebears
- festivalOrganized public celebration
- celebrationFestive event marking occasion
family recipe · generational · artisanal · handcrafted · village · regional · time-honored · cultural
umami
Fifth taste sensation
- pungentSharply strong-smelling
- sulfurousContaining yellow element
- ammoniacalContaining nitrogen compound
funky · earthy · creamy · rich · savory · briny · complex · acquired taste · challenging · divisive
congee
Watery rice porridge
- dim sumChinese small-plate tradition
- tofuCoagulated soy milk block
- pickled gingerPreserved root in brine
soy sauce · sesame oil · scallion · rice porridge · appetizer · cold plate · silken tofu · chili oil · black vinegar · Cantonese
alkaline
Having high pH
salt · lime · fermentation · aging · shelf-stable · traditional · pickling · chemical reaction · coagulation · denaturation
translucent
Permitting diffused light passage
- amberHardened ancient tree secretion
- gelatinousViscous and semisolid
- jade-greenPale bluish-green shade
marbled · dark · jiggly · crystalline · black · glossy · albumen · striking · distinctive · snowflake pattern
heritage
Inherited cultural legacy
- Chinese cuisineFood traditions from Asia's largest nation
- ancestralOf one's forebears
- festivalOrganized public celebration
celebration · family recipe · generational · artisanal · handcrafted · village · regional · time-honored · cultural · ceremonial
- Chinese foodsoup dumplings, kung pao chicken, chow mein, baozi, orange chicken
- preservationpreserve, preservatives, preservative, canning, freezing
- delicaciescaviar, truffles, foie gras, wagyu beef, lobster
- economy ricesteamed rice, white rice, braised pork belly, curry chicken, char siu
- Filipino foodlumpia, pancit, lechon, halo-halo, balut
- overseas Chineseoverseas Chinese, ethnic Chinese, Chinese community, Chinatown, Chinatowns
century eggboiled egg
Heat-set poultry product
hard-boiled egg · soft-boiled egg · fried egg · poached egg · scrambled egg
egg, century, centuries, centennial, centenary, bicentennial, tricentennial, sesquicentennial, semicentennial