Buzz
Costco, the warehouse giant, is known for carrying a wide array of unique products, including $10,000 bottles of French wine and even caskets. Their newest offering is preserved duck eggs, which are definitely an acquired taste.
As reported by Tasting Table, the retailer now offers cases of 'century eggs,' a delicacy that originates in China. Fresh duck, quail, or chicken eggs are submerged in a mixture of salt, clay, lime, black tea, and ash, and left to soak for weeks or months. This solution acts as a preserving agent, making the eggs shelf-stable and turning them from white to dark brown or green.
When you're ready to eat the egg, you can enjoy it on its own or sliced into various dishes. A popular option is to pair it with congee, a traditional rice porridge. Food reviewer and YouTuber The Sushi Guy sampled both methods in a video, which is available below.
The Sushi Guy was apparently the first to share news of the product, posting on Reddit about purchasing them at a Costco in San Jose, California, where they were priced at $13.99 for a pack of 20. He described the egg whites as having a “jello-like” consistency and noted that the eggs emitted a strong ammonia odor.
The precise origin of the century egg, or pídàn in Mandarin, remains uncertain. One popular (though likely mythical) tale suggests a Chinese farmer stumbled upon duck eggs in a mud puddle containing lime. Another story involves ducks laying eggs in discarded tea leaves and stove ashes.
However, it is believed that the process of making century eggs dates back to the Ming Dynasty. Initially a dish enjoyed in rural areas, it spread to Hong Kong in the 1940s and is now commonly eaten as a snack or appetizer in China.
“Sometimes foreign travelers look at [the egg] and get a bit frightened because it looks dark, unappealing, and all gooey and green,” restaurateur Carrel Kam explained to the BBC in 2022. “But it’s all in the mind—like with blue cheese. The smell may be unpleasant, but the taste is delicious.”
Century egg fans claim the eggs often pair excellently with wine. Perhaps one of Costco’s $10,000 bottles would be a fitting match.
