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Century egg
spicy courage 45 min +150 XP
A Chinese egg gone black, cured in alkali. The smell is ammoniac, the taste is not
Why this matters
The nose decides before the tongue. What's interesting here is catching the moment when the two disagree.
What to do
Look in a Chinese grocery, in the eggs or preserves section; they often come four to a vacuum pack, or coated in clay you have to wash off. Peel it under water: the white will be dark amber and nearly translucent, the yolk greenish-grey and creamy. Don't eat it dry and alone — hardly anyone does. The classic way: quarter it, pour over soy sauce and sesame oil, top with fine ginger strips and spring onion. Or drop it into congee, where the flavour softens right down. The ammonia smell is sharpest in the first second after peeling and barely carries into the taste — start with a piece of the white and leave the yolk for later, it's the densest part.
Afterwards
How often do you turn something down on first impression?
Completed the quest? Earn XP
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