The Traditional Chinese Delicacy You Can Try At Costco

When people think of Costco, the first things that come to mind are cheap hot dogs and Kirkland Signature branded items. However, the wholesale club does have a lineup of special and hard-to-find products hidden among the endless shelves in their warehouses. Things like durian, also known as the world's smelliest fruit, and bottles of rare, expensive bourbon have been known to make appearances at Costco stores.

Now, Costco has added another unique item to their roster: century eggs. Essentially, these are preserved eggs typically made using clay, ash, salt, quicklime, and rice hulls. Century eggs can be prepared with duck, quail, or chicken eggs, and can take weeks or months to make.

Costco sells these highly coveted, shelf-stable eggs in boxes of 20. The boxes are green and gold, with an English label written simply as "preserved duck egg." One box costs only $13.99, making it a fairly inexpensive option to try a well loved, long-time Chinese delicacy. The eggs can be eaten by themselves or used to make an international egg salad.

Believed to date back to the Ming Dynasty, century eggs are a centuries-old delicacy hailing from China. Typically, these eggs are made by combining a variety of ingredients from black tea to salt into a large container; the mixture cools overnight before the eggs are added and left to soak. Duck eggs are considered the most traditional option for this dish, but chicken and quail eggs are just as commonly used.

Once the preservation process is complete, century eggs gain their iconic dark brown exterior and dark green yolk; they also become rather gelatinous in texture and feel. Century eggs are rather salty and are typically served as a snack or appetizer rather than a main or large dish. While the eggs can have a strong ammonia smell, rest assured, properly made century eggs are not spoiled by any means and are safe to eat.

The name of this traditional fare is somewhat misleading, as century eggs do not actually take a century to make. In fact, they actually take anywhere from a few weeks to several months to make. The exact length of time can vary depending on the type of eggs used due to their size differences, as well as the exact preservation method implemented.