Hiking in the U.S. usually means bringing along a bag of trail mix for hearty fuel. In China, tea eggs seem to be the substitute. Two weekends ago, I went to Badachu in the outskirts of Beijing with a group of Chinese friends. It's a scenic area with 8 different Buddhist temples and monasteries set into a mountain, and reaching them means more hiking that I had done since Colorado.

For lunch, in addition to sandwiches from home, we bought tea eggs from an snack vendor along the trail. My worries that eggs would be too heavy to eat during strenuous hiking vanished as I bounced along up, up, up the Western Hills after lunch. The next day my body would be cursing me, but the tea eggs seemed as effective as any nature store granola mix.

(And now I can't get the "Gaston Song" from Beauty and the Beast out of my head, the part about eating 5 dozen eggs every morning to become strong. Tea eggs are good, but don't eat 5 dozen in one sitting.)

Tea eggs, stewed in a black tea/soy sauce/spice blend, are a ubiquitous and cheap snack sold all around China in snack stands and convenience stores. They're also easy to make at home. Getting the marbling effect is as simple as cracking the egg once it's partially cooked. You can use any black tea, though I use Pu'er for an earthier taste. (Green tea is too astringent to use for tea eggs.) The eggs can be simmered for 1 to 3 hours; longer simmering means a more intense flavor and color.

Once the eggs are cooked, you can eat them hot or cold as a snack. I've made lazy meals out of just 2 eggs over ramen and oyster sauce, or chopped up eggs over fried rice. Or serve them as appetizers at a party, cut in half with caviar on top. Or even take them on your next hiking trip.

Other recipes using tea:
Green Tea Cookies
Ginger Milk Tea

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Chinese Tea Eggs - 茶叶蛋 （cháyèdàn)

6 medium to large
2 tablespoons or 2 tea bags of black tea or Pu'erh
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
4 pieces star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon cracked black peppercorn (optional)
2 to 3 strips dried mandarin peel (optional)

Put eggs in a medium-sized pot with enough water to cover the eggs. Bring water to boil, then lower heat to simmer for 3 minutes. Remove eggs from heat and allow them to cool a bit before handling (running them under cold water does the trick quickly.) Take the back of a knife and crack eggs evenly all around.

Return eggs to the pot and add the rest of the ingredients. Bring liquid to boil again, then simmer for 1 to 3 hours, longer for a more intense flavor and color, adding water if level gets too low. Remove from heat, and serve as a snack or addition to rice or noodles.