Trứng Vịt Bắc Thảo

Ingredients: Duck egg, salt, tea, and lye.

Storage conditions: May be kept for 6 months at room temperature. Refrigeration will accelerate the evaporation of the water content. Preserved eggs should not be stored in a refrigerator for a long period of time to avoid it from hardening or losing flavors. No need to heat or cook it further for consumption.

Thousand-year eggs. No, it did not take a thousand years to make them. In Chinese, these "pi dan", or preserved duck eggs, are covered in a mixture for weeks to months that raises their pH and turns up the flavors. You get this haunting dark egg. Rich in flavor, it generally goes in porridge or salads. Snack it with your beer and you're in for a pleasant surprise.