The Easter bunny will soon be hopping down the bunny trail. His goal: deliver treats and decorated eggs to kids across the globe. If there is such a thing as Easter coal, the Pidan egg is likely it. And this year Easter Sunday lands on April Fool’s day – so beware of trick eggs.
Sometimes called a century egg because it looks like it’s been laying around for at least 100 years, Pidan is a delicacy. It’s also a chemical reaction. The eggs are covered in salt, quicklime, sodium carbonate, tea and ash. It’s then fermented for at least 20 days.
The gross color comes from the tea and the maillard reaction. And according to this short video from The American Chemical Society, it smells like Windex and flatulence. Bon appétit!
Traci Purdum is Chemical Processing’s senior digital editor. One of her missions in life is to find someone who has tried a Pidan egg and ask them what they were thinking. If you fit the bill, email her at [email protected].