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Century Egg

Chinese preserved duck egg with a dark jelly white.

Century Egg — illustrative ingredient image

About Century Egg

Century egg is a Chinese preserved duck egg, traditionally made by curing the egg in an alkaline mixture until its interior changes. It is eaten as a savoury preserved food rather than used like a fresh egg, often alongside rice, congee, tofu, or other mild foods.

The white becomes translucent, dark brown or amber, and jelly-like, while the yolk commonly turns dense and creamy with a strong savoury flavour. Cure time and method affect the yolk’s firmness, colour, aroma, and intensity, so individual eggs can differ considerably.

Century eggs are sold whole in their shells and are opened before eating. Once peeled, the dark jelly white and richly coloured yolk are visible; the egg may be sliced into wedges, chopped, or served with simple accompaniments.

Ingredient type
compound ingredient

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Where century egg appears

1 linked foods

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Main dishes

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for century egg

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

century egg

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Century Egg nutrition & diet

Century Egg nutritional value

Reference: Eggs, domesticated duck, century egg (Pidan)

Per 100 g of 100 g edible portion in the named official reference form.

Calories
188kcal
Protein
13.7g
Carbs
0.0g
Fat
16.5g

Official national food-composition reference. The displayed food form is part of the estimate; cultivar, recipe, brand, processing and preparation can change values.

Portions & preparation

Use the preserved duck egg as sold, distinguishing whole shelled egg, peeled egg, chopped pieces, and preparations with tofu, porridge, sauces, or garnishes. Match references to the edible egg portion and preservation method. Account for accompanying salt, seasonings, and any mixed-dish ingredients.

Compare the right form: Reference preserved duck egg, specifying whole or chopped edible egg and whether it is plain or incorporated into a prepared dish.

Diet considerations

Century egg is animal-derived duck egg and is not suitable for vegan or vegetarian patterns. Dishes may add pork, seafood, dairy, soy foods, rice, wheat, or other ingredients. Preservation style and recipe determine the final composition, so the egg should not be classified independently of its serving context.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Not established
  • Vegetarian
    Not established
  • Pescatarian
    Not established
  • Keto
    Not established
  • Paleo
    Not established
  • Low-carb
    Not established
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Vegetarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Pescatarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Keto · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Paleo · Not established
The ingredient form and processing have not been assessed against this dietary pattern.
Low-carb · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan 2023, corrected March 2026 — 12020 ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .