10 regular eggs or 20 quail eggs
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine
1 star anise
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cinnamon stick
3 slices ginger, smashed
3 tablespoons Chinese black tea leaves
Place the eggs in a saucepan with enough cold water to cover. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let the eggs simmer for 10 minutes. Refresh the eggs in cold water. Drain the eggs and lightly tap and roll the shells on a hard surface to crack them. Do not remove the shells.
Put the tea cooking mixture ingredients in a heavy bottomed bowl or saucepan with 4 cups water and heat until boiling. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 20 minutes. Add the cooked eggs and simmer for another 45 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the eggs sit in the tea mixture until cool enough to handle. Remove the shells and serve the eggs warm or cold, cut into wedges, with some of the cooking mixture on top.
