What’s in An Egg (7): Century Egg

Century egg

A century egg is a Chinese delicacy, very often served inside porridge or stir fry with vegetables.

A century egg is made by preserving an egg (usually from a duck), such that the shell becomes speckled and the white becomes a dark brown gelatinous material while the yolk is deep green and creamy. The white does not have much flavor, it is the yolk that has a strong ammonia and sulfur smell. 

What’s in Century Egg?

Assuming it is 115g, it comprises

  1. Calorie: 97 kcal
  2. Protein: 8.2 g
  3. Carbohydrates: 3.8 g
  4. Total Fat: 5.5 g
  5. Cholesterol: 226 mg
  6. Sodium: 226 mg
  7. Vitamin A: 96  mcg

Many people wondered if century eggs are healthy or unhealthy. Well, in terms of nutrition, century duck eggs are rich in iron, amino acid and vitamin E. Having that said, the proteins denatured by the alkaline conditions may be difficult to absorb, which likely occurs within the gut

This is the last of the 7 posts on “What’s in an egg”.

Additional Reading:

What’s in an Egg (1): Hen’s Egg

What’s in an Egg (2): Duck’s Egg

What’s in an Egg (3): Quail’s Egg

What’s in an Egg (4): Caviers

What’s in an Egg (5) Fish Roes

What’s in an Egg (6): Salted Duck Egg

Source: Mind Your Body, The Straits Times, 9 April 2009