Description
Duck eggs cured for a month in saturated brine or salted mud, then boiled. The whites become intensely salty, but the yolk loses its moisture, transforming into a crumbly, Bottarga-like texture that leaks rich, bright orange 'oil'. The ultimate congee companion.
Restaurants serving Xian Ya Dan (Salted Duck Egg)
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On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Duck eggs
- Coarse salt
- Baijiu(high-proof liquor)
- (Traditionally: Loess clay mud)
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- Wash fresh duck eggs (larger/paler than chicken eggs) and dry completely.
- Dip in high-proof Baijiu (liquor) to sterilize (the secret to making the yolk leak massive oil).
- Coat completely in coarse salt. Alternatively, pack them thickly in a 'salt-mud' mixture of salt, loess clay, and water.
- Seal in a container and age in a dark, cool place for 30-
- days.
- The salt penetrates through the white to the yolk, separating and concentrating the yolk's fat.
- Wash off the salt/mud and boil for
- mins. Cut in half to reveal a bright orange yolk dripping with premium savory oil.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Intense umami and richness of the condensed yolk
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
(Buy vacuum-packed boiled ones at Chinese grocers)
Pairing
White Rice Congee / Mooncakes(baked inside)
Trivia
[Trivia] The round yellow core hidden inside Chinese Mooncakes or Zongzi (tamales) is not chestnut or sweet potato, but this 'Salted Duck Egg Yolk'. It represents the full moon.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Crack it in half. Use chopsticks to shave off tiny bits of the yolk and white, placing them on plain 'White Congee'. The white is as salty as a salt block, so a tiny speck is enough.
Allergen
Eggs