Century egg
皮蛋 · pídàn (pinyin)
A preserved duck, chicken or quail egg cured for weeks to months, with a dark translucent white and a creamy dark yolk; also called thousand-year egg.
What it means
Century egg (皮蛋, pídàn) is a preserved egg, made from duck, chicken or quail eggs, usually duck. Wikipedia and The Woks of Life describe curing in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, quicklime and rice hulls for several weeks to several months.
The result looks unlike a fresh egg. Wikipedia describes a dark brown, translucent white with a salty, umami flavor and a dark greenish-grey yolk with a smooth consistency. The Woks of Life describes a gelatinous translucent white and a creamy dark yolk, with a pungent flavor that has sulfur or ammonia notes, and compares the first taste to a strong cheese.
Pídàn literally means 'leather egg' or 'skin egg'. The English names thousand-year egg, hundred-year egg and century egg do not reflect actual aging time. Wikipedia lists common uses: sliced over cold tofu, in rice congee with pork, or with pickled ginger as an appetizer.
A common mix-up
The name is a misnomer: Wikipedia says the thousand-year and hundred-year names do not reflect actual aging time.
Questions people ask
Is a century egg really a hundred years old?
No. The English names are misnomers. Wikipedia says the egg is cured for several weeks to several months.
What does a century egg taste like?
Wikipedia describes a salty, umami flavor. The Woks of Life describes it as pungent, with sulfur or ammonia notes, and compares the first encounter to strong cheeses such as brie or blue cheese.
Sources & further reading
Background and preparation references. Our descriptions are editorial summaries, not restaurant reviews.