Thousand-Year Egg (Pi Dan) Tofu is a childhood favorite cold dish that’s refreshing and so simple to make! Tastes great by itself or as a side dish with rice or congee. So easy to make — takes less than 10 minutes and you don’t even need to turn on the stove!
Thousand-Year Egg (Pi Dan) Tofu is a dish my parents made all the time growing up and is still a favorite in our household. It’s savory, silky, creamy, and refreshing all in one dish!
I’ve seen Thousand-Year Egg Tofu on many “Ugly Delicious” food lists, and I have to say I disagree because it looks just yummy to me! It’s definitely a very different kind of food if you haven’t had thousand-year egg or century egg before, but I promise it tastes delicious!
Ingredients
- Thousand-Year Egg: Also called “Century Egg” or “Hundred-Year Egg” are preserved duck eggs featured in a variety of Chinese dishes. Don’t worry — these eggs are not preserved for one hundred years, let alone a thousand years. Don’t let the look deter you from trying them! The egg whites have a jello consistency and the egg yolks are extremely creamy. They are a savory addition that’s delicious in cold side dishes, congee, and more!
- Tofu: Definitely use silken/soft tofu for this dish as you want the tofu to melt in your mouth without too much of a bite. For this dish, we’ll use the tofu cold.
This is the soft tofu (Morinaga) I specifically use for this dish. It has an extremely silky texture and is perfect with the thousand-year egg. Keep in mind that this package of tofu is 12 oz, so if you use a different brand that is closer to 16 oz, you’ll have to adjust the other ingredients/seasonings accordingly! This can be found at any large Asian grocery store.
- Pork sung: Also known as meat floss. It’s savory addition that’s here for flavor and texture! If you are a pescetarian, try using fish floss. If you are vegetarian, omit it completely and it’ll still taste great!
- Soy sauce: Any type of soy sauce here will work — for this recipe, I suggest Kikkoman low sodium soy sauce or any Chinese brand of soy sauce.
- Sesame oil: This will help add a nutty and savory flavor to the dish. Makes the flavors more complex and honestly way more delicious.
- Green onions or cilantro: Don’t skip the garnish as it’s not just for looks here! The green onions add a refreshing crunch to this dish. If you have cilantro on hand, suggest adding some of that in as well for more freshness.
- Bonito flakes (optional): If you want to add an extra bit of umami, you can add some bonito flakes on top! Many Taiwanese restaurants add bonito flakes on top of their versions and it really does add that extra oomph!
Thousand-Year Egg (Pi Dan) Tofu (皮蛋豆腐)
Thousand-Year Egg (Pi Dan) Tofu (皮蛋豆腐) is a childhood favorite cold dish that's refreshing and so simple to make! Tastes great by itself or as a side dish with rice or congee. So easy to make — takes less than 10 minutes and you don't even need to turn on the stove!
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 12 oz (1 package) silken/soft tofu
- 2 thousand-year eggs, quartered
- 3 tbsp pork sung
- 2 -3 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 small handful of cilantro, chopped (optional)
Instructions
Directions
- Unpackage the tofu and place it into your serving dish. Slice the tofu into 1/2 inch thick pieces.
- Top the tofu with 2 thousand-year eggs (quartered) and 3 tbsp of pork sung. Drizzle 2-3 tsp soy sauce and 2 tsp sesame oil over the dish. Then, top with 2 green onions (thinly sliced) and 1 small handful of cilantro (chopped, optional). If you use tofu that is more than 12 oz, be sure to adjust all other ingredients and seasonings accordingly otherwise the flavor will be too bland!
- Serve immediately while cold/cool. Tip: The dish is meant to be eaten a little mixed/mashed up so all the flavors combine with each bite. Mix the dish at the table after presenting it as it doesn't look as aesthetic after mixing.
So simple and was delicious, thank you!