Century egg
A duck egg aged black in mud
Think of it as: Like a hard-boiled egg that went goth
A black egg. Not rotten, promise.
What does it taste like?
Wobbly white, rich and creamy yolk, and a faint whiff of ammonia.
SweetSpicySourSaltyFunkSmellTextureWobbly and creamy
What is it?
Duck eggs packed in alkaline mud and aged until the white turns into black jelly and the yolk goes creamy. Served on tofu or stirred into congee.Source: Wikipedia
How locals eat it
Served cold on tofu, or in congee (century egg porridge).
Watch it
JapaneseTap to play (YouTube)This video is not in English. YouTube auto-translated captions can help.
More videos on YouTubeWhere is it from?
🇨🇳China
CapitalBeijing
Populationabout 1.413 billionUN estimate for 2026
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From Tokyoabout 2,090 kmstraight line, Tokyo to Beijing
Getting thereabout 3-4 hours from Tokyo (direct)rough guide
✈ Check cheap flights Best timeApril to May and September to October, when it's neither too hot nor too cold, are best. Also tryPeking duckMapo tofuXiaolongbao More from here🥚 Tongzi Dan (Virgin Boy Eggs)🍜 Luosifen🐟 Chou Guiyu (Stinky Mandarin Fish)🦐 Drunken Shrimp🐰 Ma La Tu Tou (Spicy Rabbit Head)
✈ Check cheap flights Best timeApril to May and September to October, when it's neither too hot nor too cold, are best. Also tryPeking duckMapo tofuXiaolongbao More from here🥚 Tongzi Dan (Virgin Boy Eggs)🍜 Luosifen🐟 Chou Guiyu (Stinky Mandarin Fish)🦐 Drunken Shrimp🐰 Ma La Tu Tou (Spicy Rabbit Head)
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你好Hello（Nǐ hǎo）
Chinese characters (simplified)
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Anthem"March of the Volunteers" (义勇军进行曲)
MusicPeking opera Traditional theater of song, dialogue and acrobatic fighting
Listen on YouTube SportTable tennis (basketball is hugely popular too)
Ma Long (table tennis; six Olympic gold medals) World HeritageThe Great Wall and more National animalGiant panda (unofficial) FestivalSpring Festival (January-February, Lunar New Year)
MusicPeking opera Traditional theater of song, dialogue and acrobatic fighting
Listen on YouTube SportTable tennis (basketball is hugely popular too)
Ma Long (table tennis; six Olympic gold medals) World HeritageThe Great Wall and more National animalGiant panda (unofficial) FestivalSpring Festival (January-February, Lunar New Year)
Ingredients
- Century eggs 2
- Silken tofu 1 block
- Green onion, a little
- Soy sauce and sesame oil, a little
How to make it (one way)
- Peel the eggs and let them sit for about 30 minutes to air out the smell
- Cut into wedges or dice
- Drain the tofu and put it on a plate
- Top with the egg and green onion
- Drizzle with soy sauce and sesame oil
Get the ingredients (ad)
century eggsAmazon