9 Strangest Egg Varieties from Around the World

Rich and savory with a creamy yellow yolk, eggs are a cheap, nourishing staple in many households. Simply cracking an egg in a bowl of instant ramen gives you a quick nutrient boost. They're one half of a two-ingredient homemade pasta recipe. Fry them, scramble them, boil them, make pastries--eggs encourage creativity when your pantry is almost bare.

While chicken eggs are commonplace, specially prepared eggs are cultural delicacies. The eggs can take weeks to cure and feature other ingredients, such as a soy sauce marinade or an underdeveloped baby duck. When you explore these options, you'll see the true versatility of eggs and the breadth of human imagination.

1. Balut

People often joke that raw eggs are undeveloped baby birds even though the eggs you buy at the grocery store are unfertilized. However, when someone serves you balut, they're not joking about the bird. When you crack open the eggshell, you won't find a runny yolk: instead, you'll find a baby duck ready for you to swallow the skin, beak and feathers whole.

Balut doesn't contain a fully developed duck like the ducklings you see at the lake. Instead, the eggshell contains a yolk, a hard egg white and a brown, veiny underdeveloped bird. This description might shock Western diners, but Asian countries have enjoyed balut for centuries.

If you want to try balut for yourself, visit an Asian country with street food vendors or pick up a dozen eggs at a global food market. wikiHow recommends boiling the eggs if you bought them raw, then cracking a hole in the top and adding your favorite seasonings before you slurp the savory broth.

Afterward, enjoy the soft yolk and embryo like you're eating a regular hard-boiled egg. Most people throw away the egg white because it's so tough that diners call it the "rock." Fans claim that balut is delicious despite its appearance, so why not take the risk?

2. Century Egg

Century eggs look inedible, but these snacks are a Chinese delicacy that you can enjoy with rice, pork and steamed vegetables. These eggs resemble blackish-orange jelly with a dark-ringed, sulfurous yolk like a rock sliced in half. When you take a bite, century eggs supposedly taste like ripe cheese with a faint trace of ammonia.

Despite their ancient appearance, manufacturers don't need a century to prepare them. Instead, they coat them with ash, slaked lime, tea and other ingredients, then age them anywhere from a few weeks to three months.

As the egg ferments, proteins and sugars break down in the egg white, turning it brown. Iron and sulfide turn the yolk a musty green. Finally, protein fragments jellify the egg white, creating the gelatin-like texture.

If you want to try century eggs, prepare yourself for a bold, pungent flavor like blue cheese. Don't let other people's distaste stop you--you might discover your new favorite food.

3. Edible Bird's Nest

While it's not an egg, edible bird's nest still fits the theme. Swiftlets build these nests with feathers, vegetation and their own saliva. Bird spit might sound unappetizing, but edible bird's nest is a rare, expensive treat that some call the "Caviar of the East."

Chefs make bird's nest soup by boiling the nest with rock sugar. You can also buy bird's nest drinks fortified with the saliva that Traditional Chinese Medicine credits for a faster metabolism, healthier skin and stronger immune system, to name a few alleged benefits.

Supposedly, edible bird's nest soup tastes mild and somewhat gooey. You can order bird's nest online, but prepare yourself for a hefty fee: prices can reach up to $10,000 per kilogram.

4. Salted Duck Egg

At first glance, a salted duck egg looks like a regular chicken egg. However, slicing the egg in half reveals a rubbery egg white surrounding a chewy orange yolk. "Salted duck egg" is not a mere label. These eggs are so salty that you'll feel like you just swallowed a mouthful of egg-flavored salt, making you reach for a tall glass of water.

While some dislike the strong taste, salt-cured eggs have a much longer shelf life than regular eggs. China produces tens of thousands of salted duck eggs each year, with residents eating them with rice, mooncakes, rice dumplings and other dishes.

You can buy salted duck eggs online or at grocery stores or make them at home with a salty brine. Using duck instead of chicken eggs gives the result a vibrantly orange yolk. They make handy snacks, but don't overindulge; high sodium levels increase your risk of heart attacks and strokes.

5. Quail Egg

Quails lay speckled eggs a fraction of the size of chicken eggs. While they look small, quail eggs are packed with protein, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C and healthy fatty acids. They taste similar to chicken eggs, and when you cut them in half, you find the familiar egg white and yellow yolk.

You can prepare quail eggs just like chicken eggs: boil them, fry them, scramble them or make tiny omelets. More elaborate recipes include deviled quail eggs and refrigerator spicy pickled quail eggs. This might seem like a lot of work for miniature food, but quail eggs offer a unique one-bite experience.

Quail eggs haven't caught on with major grocery chains yet, but you can find them in global food markets or contact a nearby quail farmer. You could even raise quail yourself for free eggs!

6. Tea Egg

Tea egg producers infuse ordinary hard-boiled eggs with soy sauce, black tea, star anise, Sichuan peppercorn and other classic Asian flavors, creating a flavorful snack with brown marbling. The taste is so distinct that the Chinese language refers to tea eggs as "five-scented eggs."

As marinade seeps through the shell, the brown "cracks" in the egg white give your snack a refined, antique appearance. Try serving these eggs with hot tea and light sandwiches. All you need to do is boil the eggs, prepare the marinade and soak your eggs until they're earthy and delicious.

7. Telur pindang

Telur pindang is Indonesia's take on the tea egg. This dish has similar tan marbling and a deep brown shell that resembles chocolate. When you make telur pindang at home, you'll infuse your eggs with guava leaves, ginger, lemongrass, turmeric and other vibrant spices.

8. Soy or Iron Egg

Soy eggs frequently appear in ramen bowls, but you can add them to other dishes or enjoy the rich umami flavor on its own. To make soy eggs at home, marinate hard-boiled eggs in a mixture of soy sauce, mirin and other ingredients, such as ginger, peppers or scallions. The soy sauce penetrates the egg, dyeing the surface brown.

Iron egg producers take the process a step further by repeatedly stewing the eggs until they're nearly black as jewels. They're tough and chewy with crumbly yellow yolks. Some cooks add flavorings, such as garlic and chili.

9. Virgin Boy Egg

The virgin boy egg isn't what it sounds like: it's actually worse. Every year, residents of Dongyang, China collect urine from boys in elementary school, then soak the eggs in urine that the boys donated. Residents sell virgin boy eggs as street food and even prepare them at home.

This sounds like a joke, but Dongyang residents view virgin boy eggs as a valuable part of their heritage. Some believe that urine offers health benefits. Others simply enjoy the salty taste. In any case, they celebrate every spring with a new batch of urine-soaked eggs.

Have you tried any of these eggs? Which ones would you like to try? You'd love to snack on a virgin boy egg, right? Share your thoughts in the comments.