you call them century eggs, hundred-year eggs, millennium eggs or whatever, these outlandish ova are a Chinese delicacy dating back centuries to the Ming Dynasty. The boastful name suggests these eggs take forever to make, this is a misnomer. Century eggs take about 4-5 weeks to make, a few minutes to work up the courage to open, and a few seconds to eat.


 Traditionally century eggs were made by preserving chicken or duck eggs in a mixture of salt, lime and ash, then wrapping in rice husks for several weeks. During this time the pH of the egg raises transforming the egg, the chemical process breaks down some of the proteins and fats into smaller, more complex flavours. After curing the yolk of the egg turns a dark green and has a creamy consistency, while the white turns amber and is gelatinous.

 
                                              

HISTORY
The origin of the method for creating century eggs likely came about through the need to preserve eggs in times of plenty by coating them in alkaline clay, which is similar to methods of egg preservation in some Western cultures. The clay hardens around the egg and results in the curing and creation of century eggs instead of spoiled eggs.
According to some, the century egg has over five centuries of history behind its production. Its discovery, though not verifiable, was said to have occurred around 600 years ago in Hunan during the Ming Dynasty, when a homeowner discovered duck eggs in a shallow pool of slaked lime that was used for mortar during construction of his home two months before. Upon tasting the eggs, he set out to produce more — this time with the addition of salt to improve their flavor — resulting in the present recipe of the century egg

 

IF YOU WANT TO SEE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CENTURY EGGS YOU CAN GO TO THE ADRESS  RIGHT HERE:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinkpicturegalleries/9997605/20-strange-foods-to-try-before-you-die.html?frame=2537556