Mention famous eggs in Taiwan and you would likely get yourself confused over the Ah Po Metal Egg (阿婆铁蛋) in Danshui and Ah Po Tea Leaf Egg (阿婆茶葉蛋) in Sun Moon Lake.
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Confusion no more as the so-called Ah Po Tea Leaf Egg should actually be known as Ah Ma Tea Leaf Egg according to the Chinese character, 嬷, used on the signboard!
Its popularity is unbeatable in the region and in order to beat the queue, i crawled out of my hotel bed especially early in the morning even though i was contented to sleep in a while longer.
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Reached only to find it not yet open for business! :( I am no time waster and proceeded to check out the small little temple on the hill known as Xuanguang temple.
By the time i got back, the queue had already stretched to 20-30 person-long! Given my love for tea leaf eggs, this would be one queue i am willing to spend my precious overseas time just to check out how good or bad the eggs are.
I have high expectations of course since the eggs in Ah Ma were boiled with an extra ingredient; mushrooms that should give an extra fungi oomph!
Thankfully, the efficient service staff were seasoned in what they were doing and it was already our turn in less than seven minutes. Four were purchased; two for me, two for Alex.
My portion.
Be eco-friendly and make full use of the plastic bag to remove the shell from the scalding hot boiled egg!
The intricate spider web pattern was perfect but as you know, taste is what that matters most in my heart. If i can stomach smelly tofu despite the obnoxious taste, you would understand that visual doesn't really affect me as much when it comes to food.
My verdict? The cooler weather in Sun Moon Lake makes eating tea leaf eggs a very enjoyable affair. However, the taste fell short of my expectation; the Assam tea flavour was mild and the mushroom fragrance was only apparent when you took a bite of the egg, close your mouth and then hold your breath!
Alex's thought differently and was impressed enough to queue again! Both of us are tea leaf egg lovers and there are two diverse opinions for you to choose from. Leave your comment on what you think about the Ah Ma Tea Leaf Egg in Sun Moon Lake.
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Location
Xuanguang Temple Pier at Sun Moon Lake. It is super easy to find the stall as the only other facility selling edible stuff is a vending machine.
Price
NT$13 for one
NT$25 for two
Additional Information
For the overview of my Taiwan trip, click HERE.