How to Make the Most Perfect Tea Egg for Ramen

I first had a tea egg in Hanoi Vietnam during breakfast at the Pan Pacific hotel. I am not sure how authentic this egg was, but I can tell you is that it was delicious and that it was love at first bite. Over the next two mornings, I consumed more eggs than I thought possible, and I have no shame in that. They were delicious.

At the time, I thought the tea eggs were the same eggs that you could find in ramen, but it turns out I was 100% mistaken. They are completely different, but still super jammy and amazing in their own right. For some reason, when I recently made ramen, I decided to break all of the rules and make my own version of tea eggs/ramen eggs and they were so good that I have no choice but share them with you.

These tea eggs are a perfect addition to ramen, but you could add it over rice for a tasty breakfast or have it on its own just as a snack. The incredible flavors of salty, sweet, and that umami, jammy yoke all come together for the perfect bite, no matter how you enjoy it!

Makes 4 – 6 tea eggs which can be stored in the marinade in the fridge for about a week.

Ingredients:

4-6 eggs

1 tablespoon of baking soda

1 cup of black tea, cooled

1/4 cup of soy sauce

1 tablespoon of rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar

1 clove of garlic minced

About the same amount of minced or grated ginger as garlic

Instructions:

1. Start by boiling the eggs. Completely cover the eggs with cold water and add the baking soda (for more info. on why, check out my hard boiled egg post). Bring to a rolling boil and reduce to a simmer for about 6 minutes. Drain the eggs and soak them in ice water.
2. Meanwhile, mix tea, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger together in a bowl large enough to submerge the eggs.
3. When the eggs are cool enough to handle. Gently roll the eggs under your palm, to evenly crack the shell but not damage the egg itself.
4. Place the eggs in the marinade and allow to marinate for a few hours to overnight. Enjoy these tea eggs on your next bowl of ramen or really anytime!