Boiling eggs together with herbs for a sweet soup is a common practice in Chinese food therapy. There are many variations depending on the herbs chosen. Here at Mayway, our founder makes a version with Bai Mu Er, Hong Zao, Lian Zi, and Bai He every year.
This recipe is a simple 4-ingredient soup. The egg, sweet and cool in nature, nourishes the Yin, tonifies the Blood, and moistens dryness. The Chuan Xiong activates the Qi, invigorates the Blood and dispels Wind. Cracking the eggshell both allows the herbs to soak into the egg, but also gives the eggs a pretty marbled look.
Ingredients
- 6 cups water
- 2 fresh eggs
- 2 Tbs brown sugar
- 9 grams Chuan xiong/ Szechuan lovage root
Instructions
- Rinse herbs and eggs. In a medium stockpot, add eggs, herbs, and water and bring to a boil. Cook eggs for approximately 10 minutes total (3 minutes of boiling).
- Remove eggs, cool, then tap with the back of a spoon until cracked all over (do not peel!).
- Return eggs to soup and add brown sugar. Boil on low for an additional 20 minutes.
- Remove eggs, peel and rinse to remove any excess shell.
- Place the whole egg in each bowl, ladle soup over it.
- Note: For darker marbling on the eggs, use less water.