Yongchuan Century Egg

Yongchuan Century Egg

Yongchuan Century Egg is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　　　Created during the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty　　(Chongqing)

　　 Yongchuan Pineflower Century Egg has a distinctive style: both the mature egg white and yolk display pine needle patterns; the egg white is tea-brown or peach-oil colored, amber-like, semi-transparent, and elastic; the yolk is yellow on the outside and green on the inside, with a colorful hard center or a bright red semi-solid sweet center, firm yet not hard, soft yet not runny.

　　 Yongchuan Century Eggs are characterized by being lead-free, having pineflower patterns, translucent tea-colored egg whites, and orange-red, glossy yolks. Authentic Yongchuan Pineflower Century Eggs feature delicate pineflower patterns that appear and disappear subtly, tea-colored egg whites, and orange yolks, resembling amber enclosing pearls—vivid and lifelike in countless forms. Analysis shows that the pineflowers are crystalline patterns formed by salts and free amino acids diffusing in different directions as proteins undergo a water-soluble process. Because they resemble pine needles, they are called Pineflower Century Eggs.

　　 It is understood that Yongchuan Century Eggs were first created in 1822 (during the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty) and have a history of about 160 years. After the liberation, Yongchuan Century Eggs came under the centralized management of the Yongchuan County Food Company. Through continuous innovation in production techniques, the quality of Yongchuan Century Eggs was improved, and their production increased, making them a renowned local specialty of Yongchuan, selling well across Bayu and throughout the country. In 1981, Yongchuan Century Eggs were rated as a high-quality product of Sichuan Province.