About Egg Recipes

Eggs occupy about the same place in Chinese cooking as in Western. They make either the main thing in a dish or go with other main dishes. As in the west, chicken's eggs are the commonest eggs to eat. Next come duck's eggs, then goose's eggs. Great care should be taken with duck eggs. They must always be thoroughly cooked and should never be eaten uncooked nor should they be used for lightly cooked dishes such as poached eggs, scrambled egg, pancakes, etc. Pigeon's eggs, with transparent whites when cooked, are a fine delicacy to the Chinese. With all the media attention on cholesterol, consumers often lose sight of the fact that eggs are a nutrient-rich, affordable contributor to a healthy diet. Not only do eggs contain the highest quality source of protein available but they also contain almost every essential vitamin and mineral humans need. Because eggs are nourishing and easily digested almost in any form, they have always been regarded as good for the young and the frail by the Chinese.

Chinese have boiled eggs, fried eggs, etc., but they do not usually mean breakfast nor are they usually made the same way as Western dishes of the same names. Boiled eggs are usually hard-boiled and usually dip-eaten with soy sauce at breakfast. As part of other dishes, they are hard-boiled so long that they become soft inside again. Fried eggs are usually sprinkled with soy sauce. Dropped eggs are dropped in soup instead of on toast, and eaten wet. Chinese have no shirred eggs but have stirred eggs, which is something between scrambled eggs and egg-omelet.

Authentic Egg Dishes

Egg Foo Yung (Egg Foo Young)
Egg Fu Yung, Restaurant Style (Deep-fried)
Spicy Egg Foo Yung with Shrimp
Steamed Custard
Tea Eggs (Black Eggs)

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