Thais Love “Horse Urine” Eggs
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Horse Urine Egg or as Thais call it ‘Kai-yiew-mha’ are also called preserved eggs, hundred-year eggs and millennium eggs. They are prepared using a Chinese cuisine ingredient which preserves duck, chicken or quail eggs in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, lime, and rice hulls for several weeks to several months, depending on the method of processing. Through the process, the yolk becomes a dark green, cream-like substance with a strong odor of sulphur and ammonia, while the white becomes a dark brown, transparent jelly with little flavor.
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
‘Kai-yiew-mha’ can be eaten without further preparation, on their own or as a side dish. Thai’s love to eat Kai-yiew-mha fried with basil or with porridge.
According to a persistent myth, ‘Kai-yiew-mha’ was once prepared by soaking eggs in horse urine which is where Thais get the name from. The myth may arise from the pungent odor of ammonia given off by century eggs, which is reminiscent of urine.
Another misconception many Westerners have is that these eggs really are hundreds of years old due to the misleading name. In reality, they are rarely older than several months.
‘Kai-yiew-mha’ might not look appetizing but never judge a book by its cover. It tastes like jelly, a little bitter but totally worth a try.
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