Braised Quail Eggs (Lu Niaodan)
Even if it's small, the flavor is bomb-grade! "Infinite Petit Petit" Brown Gem at Taiwan Night Market
Description
Boiled quail eggs (Niaodan) firmly simmered in star-anise-spiced Taiwan soy soup until the whites harden. A bite-sized snack causing a tug-of-war from kids to adults.
Restaurants serving Braised Quail Eggs (Lu Niaodan)
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The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Quail eggs
- Soy sauce
- Rock sugar
- Rice wine
- Five-spice (Star anise
- etc.)
- Scallions
- Ginger
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- [Quail Egg Prep] Hard-boil massive quail eggs, peel cleanly (*Commercial water-boiled works, but hand-peeled absorbs sauce better).
- [Color & Aroma Lu Zhi] Boil generous soy, rock sugar, rice wine, five-spice (blend of star anise, cinnamon, cloves etc.), scallions, ginger in a pot. Quail eggs absorb flavor harder than chicken eggs, so set sauce slightly stronger.
- [Long Slow Simmering] Toss in quail eggs, simmer slowly on low for 30-
- mins. Simmering until white moisture escapes, tightens hard, and outside dyes dark brown (tortoiseshell) is Taiwan's 'Tie Dan (Iron Egg)' style approach. Cool overnight to completely set flavor, skewer on bamboo to serve.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Exotic five-spice aroma and scorched soy smell
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Chicken eggs (becomes regular Lu Dan, but can't beat quail's bite-size)
Pairing
Sweet tea、Tapioca Milk Tea
Trivia
[For Kids] Overwhelmingly popular with Taiwan kids as it has less yolk dryness and stronger white plumpness than large braised chicken eggs (Lu Dan). An absolute must-have for bento gap-filling or night market walking-eating.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Skewer 5-6 at once on a bamboo stick, eating them like dango while dipping in special 'super-spicy chili sauce'!
Allergen
Egg, Soy, Wheat (from soy sauce)