Chinese Tea Eggs

Ingredients:

6 eggs (washed and set aside)

Water (enough to cover the eggs)

3 tbsp light soy sauce

1 1/2 tbsp Lipton tea leaf (use Chinese pur-erh tea leaf if you have)

1 stick cinnamon

1 star anise

3 cloves

1/4 tsp Chinese five-spice powder

1/2 tsp sugar

Methods:

1. Add water to a medium pot and gently place the eggs in it, ensuring they are fully submerged.  Bring the water to a boil over high heat and boil for approximately 10 minutes to ensure the eggs are fully cooked.
2. Transfer the hard-boiled eggs from the boiling water and rinse them under cold water.  Keep the water from boiling the eggs. Using the back of a teaspoon, gently tap the egg shells to crack them.  Return the eggs to the water and add the remaining ingredients: light soy sauce, tea leaf, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, five-spice powder and sugar.
3. Bring the tea mixture to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low.  Simmer for 1 hour (the longer the simmering the better the taste).  Add more water if needed.
4. Serve immediately, or leave the tea eggs in the mixture overnight to further enhance their color and flavor.

This delicious recipe is adapted from 'Rasa Malaysia' with a slight adjustment to suit my cooking preference.