Iron egg
Iron egg(Chinese:Thiết trứng;pinyin:tiědàn) is a special version ofsoy egg,a snack fromTaiwan.They are considered a delicacy and originated in theTamsui DistrictofNew Taipei City.
The dish consists of small eggs that have been repeatedly stewed in a mix of spices and air-dried. The resulting eggs are dark brown on the outside, chewy in texture, and very flavourful compared to standardboiled eggs.It has been said to taste "sweet, spicy and slightly salty with a concentrated egg flavour—a great snack with drinks".[1]
Iron eggs were popularized by shopkeeper Yang Bi-yun ( dương bích vân ), who opened the first store selling the product in Tamsui in 1980.[2]She claimed her eggs were invented by accident when, on a slow day at her snack stall, she had to continually recooksoy eggs( trứng kho ) to keep them warm after taking them out of thesoy saucebroth. The recooking and drying process eventually resulted in shrunken eggs that were dark, flavourful, and chewy, which were extremely popular with the locals. Yang eventually founded a new business based on her iron egg recipe, packaging and selling them under the brandApotiedan(A bà thiết trứng;'Grandma's iron eggs').[3]Although Yang maintained that her iron egg was the original, a Tamsui local legend claims a noodle stall owner named Huang Chang-nian ( hoàng trương 哖) invented the iron egg in the 1970s.[2]
Iron eggs can only be created by the use of "chicken, pigeon or quail eggs" but not fromduck eggs.[4]Quail eggs are very popular.[5]The popularity of iron eggs has risen and they can be found in other regions besides Taiwan, such as inAfricaand theMiddle East.[4]
See also
[edit]- A-gei– Taiwanese dish
- Smoked egg– Food that involves the smoking of eggs
- Taiwanese cuisine– Culinary traditions of Taiwan
- Tea egg– Egg boiled in tea as a savory snack
References
[edit]- ^Smith, Charmian (Jan 25, 2012)."Dipping into the Taiwanese bowl".Allied Press Limited.RetrievedOctober 10,2014.
- ^abNước ngọt a bà thiết trứng sáng lập người kinh truyền qua đời hưởng thọ 84 tuổi(in Chinese).EBC News.July 12, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 18,2023.
- ^Lâm minh dục (1983).Ăn uống thỏa thích(in Chinese). Liên kinh. pp. 21–5.
- ^abNewman, Jacqueline (2006)."Iron Eggs".Flavor and Fortune.13(1). Institute for the Advancement of the Science and Art of Chinese Cuisine: 5, 8.
- ^Hiufu Wong, Maggie (24 July 2015)."40 of the best Taiwanese foods and drinks".edition.cnn.CNN.Retrieved8 April2020.
External links
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