Century and salted eggs in mainstream US stores

Last month, two Chinese egg varieties made headlines as they debuted in Costco stores across the US. Century eggs are preserved in a mix of clay, ash, salt, quicklime, and rice husks for several weeks to months. This turns them into a translucent dark brown or black jelly; the yolk becomes creamy and greenish grey.

Salted duck eggs are preserved by soaking in brine or packing in salted charcoal/clay for several weeks. This results in a firm, salty white and a rich, oily, bright orange / red yolk. They are eaten with rice / porridge and used in mooncakes, custards, buns, and dishes like salted egg prawns or pumpkin.

While we are all for celebrating the many uses of eggs, there are huge welfare considerations when it comes to those laid in China, with 90% of its 3 billion hens kept in battery cages. For now, we prefer to enjoy British-produced free-range eggs or, of course, the ones popped out by the happy hens in our own back gardens.