What Are Century Eggs and Are They Soaked in Urine? (2024)

FAQs

What Are Century Eggs and Are They Soaked in Urine? ›

Misconception and etymology

Full of lead, soaked in horse urine, covered in mud for 1,000 years – these are some of the false myths that have made century eggs one of the most misunderstood ingredients in Chinese cuisine. Today, a huge range of dishes are made around the country using the black, gelatinous eggs.

Preparation. The dish is prepared by first soaking the eggs in the urine of young boys, then the mixture is heated over a stove. After boiling, the entire surface of the egg shells are cracked, and they are placed back into the urine. The used urine is then replaced with fresh urine and the process is repeated.

THE CENTURY EGG

There is a common misconception or “myth” that these eggs used to be made by soaking them in horse urine. Thankfully, this is not actually true, but the myth likely came from the fact that the pink egg has a smell of ammonia that many people aren't used to.

The eggs are high in calories. So it's essential to consume them in moderation. Limiting your intake of century eggs to 1 or 2 eggs per day is recommended as a general guideline. It allows you to enjoy their unique flavor and nutritional benefits without over consuming them.

It may also be simmered with congee (rice porridge) and salted dried pork or steamed with spinach, garlic, and another type of Chinese preserved eggs (salted eggs). A century egg tastes rich, complex, and pungent, like ripe blue cheese with a very faint hint of ammonia.

En vessie refers to a cooking method in which a meat or other dish is cooked in a (pig) bladder. A well-known application is with Bresse chicken: Poularde de Bresse en vessie; a prepared chicken is stuffed with foie gras, truffles, and other flavorings, then enclosed in the bladder and poached in chicken broth.

It is a popular misconception that MSG can cause headaches and other feelings of discomfort, known as "Chinese restaurant syndrome". Several blinded studies show no such effects when MSG is combined with food in normal concentrations, and are inconclusive when MSG is added to broth in large concentrations.

Similarly, meat and dairy products can give urine a cloudy or foamy appearance as they contain high levels of phosphorus. Vitamin D, found in fatty fish, egg yolks and mushrooms, can also make urine appear cloudier.

Usually, glucose, ketones, protein, and bilirubin are not detectable in urine.

Why do Chinese eat so many boiled eggs? ›

So, why eggs? It was based on an intuitive idea. In Chinese culture the egg is very significant, valued for centuries as a food supplement—especially for children, pregnant women, and those who are ill.

Sold since ancient times as “virgin boy eggs,” the local delicacy was officially listed as “intangible cultural heritage” in Dongyang in 2008. Many residents believe they energize the body, improve blood circulation and prevent heat stroke. They are also a bargain at around 25 cents an egg, urine included.

Sodium hydroxide is alkaline. As it breaks down the egg's protein into glucose and amino acids, the two chemicals react. This reaction, called the Maillard reaction, produces the distinct color of century eggs. It's also what causes browning when you fry bacon on a pan or roast meat in an oven.

The keeper of the 20-year-old egg, surnamed Fu, shared her precious fossil on social media platform Douban and it soon attracted the attention of curious online observers, with one nicknaming it “the pharaoh egg”. Translucent, it is of the size of a pistachio nut and feels like a hard plastic ball.

The mare may squeal, kick, or move away to show the stallion she is not ready. When she is receptive to breeding, she may stand still, deviate her tail, and urinate, leading the stallion to mount her. Pasture breeding is usually more successful than "in hand" or controlled breeding.

The definitive diagnosis of urinary schistosomiasis (Schistosoma haematobium) is established by demonstration of S. haematobium eggs in urine. An increased number of eggs is shed in the urine around midday, so an optimum urine specimen for diagnosis should be collected at noon.

Traditionally century eggs were made by preserving chicken or duck eggs in a mixture of salt, lime and ash, then wrapping in rice husks for several weeks. During this time the pH of the egg raises transforming the egg, the chemical process breaks down some of the proteins and fats into smaller, more complex flavours.

While the smell of ammonia will always be present in century eggs, an overwhelmingly bad ammonia odor or moldy stench are signs that things have gone wrong.