Century eggs, if you haven’t come across them, are the Chinese delicacy of preserved eggs. Fortunately, they aren’t really a hundred years old; rather they are stored for a couple of months wrapped in stuff to raise the pH to highly acidic levels. The eggs jellify, with the white turning a translucent dark brown-black, and the yolk going green. They are usually hen or duck eggs, which tend to be a little dry. While I don’t mind them despite their unappetising look, the ‘whites’ can be bland.

Interior, Century quail’s egg

I was lucky enough to visit a restaurant recently which served the quail egg version. These are, if anything, even less appealing to look at, with the yolks ending up a swampy grey colour. However, they taste absolutely delicious – rich egg flavour, mixed with butter and cream. The small size and high yolk to white ratio is a definite plus.

Round 2

I actually went back for a second helping (to be honest it was the only food I could eat at this place, but I wanted to eat more!). I will definitely look out for these in future.