Originally Posted by fluffsta007:
“Respect for trying this! How much is each one? And what do they taste like in reference to a normal egg?”
No respect necessary. They are delicious. BUT first time I tried one it took some internal coaxing to get past the appearance.
They aren't cheap, about a fiver for a pack of six, so an occasional treat, usually served chopped up with silken tofu, soy sauce and sesame oil as a side dish. Easy to find in the fridge of any Chinese supermarket. Which is what I had last night with a dish of noodles and fish.
As for taste, well I put them after Blue Stilton because in my mind they are really similar tastes. Both appear disgusting to those who have never seen them - my missus still refuses to even try Blue Stilton and thinks its disgusting, but she loves Century Eggs.
The brown "white" of the egg is jelly like and doesn't have a strong flavour. But the blue yolk is very creamy, similar to Blue Stilton but softer, and has a similar deep pungent flavour.
I reckon if you like strong, blue, crusty/mouldy cheese, then Century Eggs should be no problem.
I did try to eat one on its own one time and, yeah, that was a bit much. But as part of a dish they are just yummy.
Actually, that reminds me of a story. When my mother-in-law was a little girl her mum used to give her three boiled eggs for her school lunch. But one day she accidentally put three Century Eggs in her pack instead. Now this was in China in the late 1950s, so food was valued. So, knowing she couldn't waste them, she sat down with her lunch pack and, one after the other, she peeled and ate
all three black eggs.
Perhaps not too surprising then that she cannot stand the sight of them to this day. Which is tough, because in China they are very popular. And with good reason. Give them a try. Maybe best to go to a "real", traditional Chinese restaurant (ie one where you are pretty much the only non Chinese customer and they don't serve "curry and chips") and ask for a Century Egg dish before trying to do it at home, just to see how they are used (Or marry a Chinese girl, like I did, whichever is simplest.)