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Egg, Preserved - Artifacts

Image Egg, Preserved
Copyright
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Description
6 Styrofoam packs of six preserved duck eggs wrapped in plastic; label is printed in white, black, blue, pink, green, yellow and red ink; label on top cover shows picture of duck wearing clothes; also features nutrition facts, ingredients, and manufacturer's info; Chinese characters say that product is lead-free; for human consumption. Preserved eggs, also known as century and thousand year eggs, have been a Chinese delicacy for hundreds of years. Although there are myths that these eggs were originally preserved by soaking them in horse urine, the current methods used are much more hygienic. These eggs are traditionally made by wrapping an egg (duck, chicken and quail are the most commonly used) in rice straw, then burying it in a mixture of clay, ash salt, and lime for a period that can last weeks or months. The modern method involves soaking the egg in brine consisting of salt, calcium hydroxide, and sodium carbonate. This method generally only takes ten days, after which the egg is wrapped in plastic to age. Sometimes lead is used to speed the curing process, but in this instance, the package explicitly states that no lead was used. These eggs can be found as an ingredient in numerous recipes, but are often eaten on their own. They are a popular street food in Hong Kong.
Object ID
2008.001.179