Chinese steamed eggs

Chinese steamed eggs
The three color version of Chinese steamed egg
Chinese	蒸水蛋
Jyutping	zing1 seoi2 daan2
Hanyu Pinyin	zheng1 shui3 dan4
Literal meaning	steam water egg
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin zheng1 shui3 dan4 Yue: Cantonese Jyutping zing1 seoi2 daan2

Chinese steamed eggs is a Chinese home-style dish usually found in Cantonese cuisine. Eggs are beaten to a consistency similar to what would be used for an omelet and then steamed.

Preparation

As with the western omelet other liquids can be added to this dish. Sometimes water, chicken broth or soy milk are used. The purpose of adding the extra liquid is to create a more tender texture and to add extra flavor (as in the case of adding chicken broth). Other solid ingredients may be added to such as minced pork, minced chicken, and spring onions. The egg mixture is then placed in a bowl or dish. The dish is then placed in a steamer then steamed until fully cooked. The eggs should be steamed just until firm, so that the texture of the eggs is still smooth and silky.

Comparison

The closest western equivalent food is a savory custard.

Variety

Home versions generally have scallion, century egg, salted duck egg or dried shrimp. The taste is usually savory (as opposed to a sweet custard).

Often different meats are included in this simple dish such as ground pork or shrimp. The meat is added to the egg mixture before steaming.

It can also be enjoyed with soy sauce.

See also

• List of egg dishes
• Chawanmushi - A Japanese variant of the dish