Tea eggs, also called marbled eggs, are distinctive looking and easy to make. Serve them as a snack or with a dim sum lunch, for breakfast Easter morning or during the Chinese New Year season.

Cook Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Ingredients:

6 eggs

3 1/2 cups cold water, or as needed

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 cup brewed black tea

2 star anise, broken into individual pieces

1 cinnamon stick

Preparation:

Place the eggs in a saucepan with the water, making sure that there is at least 1/2-inch of water above the eggs. Cover and bring to a rolling boil. Remove the saucepan from the element and let the eggs stand in the hot water for 15 - 20 minutes, until they are cooked. Remove the eggs and run them under cold running water to cool. (Reserve the water in the pan).

Tap the hard-boiled eggs gently with the back of a spoon, to make a series of cracks all over the eggshells, while making sure the shell remains intact. (If the shell does come off, don't worry - it just means that egg will have a darker color than the others).

Bring the water in the pan back to a boil. Add the salt, soy sauce, brewed black tea, star anise pieces, and the cinnamon stick. Add the eggs. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours. Turn off the heat and let the eggs sit in the hot liquid until ready to serve. Serves 6.

Nutritional Breakdown: 6 servings

Each serving contains: Calories 91, 4 g Carbohydrates (1 percent of daily total, based on a 2,000 calorie diet), 7 g Protein, 5 g Total Fat, 2 g Saturated Fat, 212 mg Cholesterol, 2 g Fibre, 774 mg Sodium.