Description
Japanese diners boil wakame in broth. Authentic Chinese uses 'Zi Cai' (dried purple seaweed) and tiny dried shrimp placed in the serving bowl. Boiling egg-drop soup is poured from a height directly into the bowl to instantly bloom the delicate seaweed aroma without overcooking.
Restaurants serving Zi Cai Dan Hua Tang (Seaweed Egg Drop Soup)
Researching
We are researching restaurants that serve this dish.
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
- Zi Cai(Chinese dried seaweed)
- Egg
- Dried baby shrimp(Xia Pi)
- Scallion
- Sesame oil
- Salt
- White pepper
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe & Differences]
- (Ingredients) Do not use Japanese wakame. Tear pieces from a disc of 'Zi Cai' (Chinese dried purple seaweed).
- (Bowl Prep - Why it's not boiled) In the serving bowl, place the torn seaweed, the umami core 'Dried baby shrimp (Xia Pi)', minced scallion, sesame oil, salt, white pepper, and chicken bouillon. (Boiling seaweed in a pot kills the aroma and makes it mushy; placing it in the bowl is authentic).
- (Egg Soup) Boil water in a pot. Add a tiny splash of starch slurry to create a 'very faint thickness' so the egg floats.
- Drizzle beaten egg into the boiling water to bloom 'egg flowers'.
- Pour the boiling egg soup forcefully from a height directly into the prepared bowl.
- The heat instantly expands the seaweed, detonating the aroma of dried shrimp and sesame oil.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Ocean aroma of Zi Cai、Intense dried shrimp broth
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
(Tear Japanese roasted Nori sheets as substitute)
Pairing
Fried Rice / All stir-fries
Trivia
[Trivia] If you ask for 'Soup (Tang)' in a Chinese home or diner, this is the first thing served. Despite being an ultra-fast 3-minute recipe, it is perfectly packed with ocean umami and is a true Chinese soul food.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Sip it piping hot with a spoon before the aroma escapes. The fluffy egg, crisp seaweed, and the umami of the tiny shrimp at the bottom gently reset your palate from any heavy Chinese dish.
Allergen
Eggs, Shrimp, Sesame