What is the specific historical origin of Songhua eggs? The difference between Songhua eggs and preserved eggs

Usually, we all think that preserved eggs and preserved eggs are the same. In fact, preserved eggs are basically made of chicken eggs, while preserved eggs are mostly made of duck eggs. There are also some places that use chicken eggs to make preserved eggs, but they are relatively rare. Preserved eggs are mostly yellow in color and appear translucent like amber, while preserved eggs are mostly dark in color. The two colors are very different. There is a dish called preserved egg and lean meat porridge, which actually uses preserved eggs.

Contents of this article

1. Historical Origin of Songhua Eggs

2. The difference between preserved eggs and preserved eggs

3. Shelf life of preserved eggs

The historical origin of Songhua eggs

Preserved eggs are not only delicious, but also have certain medicinal value. Wang Shixiong said in "Sui Xi Ju Diet": "Preserved eggs are spicy, astringent, sweet and salty. They can relieve heat, sober up, remove large intestine fire, treat diarrhea, and can disperse and astringe." Traditional Chinese medicine believes that preserved eggs are cool in nature and can treat eye pain, toothache, high blood pressure, tinnitus and dizziness.

The traditional method of making preserved eggs almost always uses the Chinese medicine myrrh, but the lead content in preserved eggs is daunting. People have developed a way to eat lead-free preserved eggs, so people who love to eat preserved eggs don't have to worry about lead poisoning.

Yiyang, Hunan is the birthplace of Songhua preserved eggs, which according to historical records have a history of more than 500 years since the early Ming Dynasty. Yuanzhou District, Yichun City, Jiangxi Province is an important production area of ​​Songhua eggs, while the Songhua eggs in Nanchong, Sichuan are more distinctive, and the Songhua eggs in Songtao, Guizhou originated in the Xia Dynasty.

The difference between Songhua eggs and preserved eggs

In a broad sense, Songhua eggs are just a type of preserved eggs. But in essence, these two types of eggs are completely different. Preserved eggs are basically made from chicken eggs, while Songhua eggs are mostly made from duck eggs. There are also some places that use chicken eggs to make Songhua eggs, but they are relatively rare. Preserved eggs are mostly yellow in color and appear translucent like amber, while Songhua eggs are mostly dark in color. The two colors are very different. There is a dish called preserved egg and lean meat porridge, which actually uses Songhua eggs.

Preserved eggs are processed by using the principle of quicklime and hot water heating. The specific method is to first clean the eggs, stir the alkali, quicklime powder and salt into a paste with clean water, then put the eggs into the paste, let the eggshells be completely covered by the paste, then carefully take them out, roll them in sawdust, and use sawdust to dress the eggs. Protect the paste from falling off. Slowly wait for the paste to dry and it will be fine. Then put it aside for about a week and you can eat it. Some people like to eat the preserved eggs after they are completely solidified, while others think that the yolk in the preserved eggs is the most delicious and nutritious when it is not completely solidified.

Preserved Eggs Shelf Life

Unopened preserved eggs can be stored at below 20 degrees Celsius for 3 months. If opened, the shelf life of preserved eggs is no more than 2 hours, so opened preserved eggs must be consumed in time and cannot be stored. After opening, preserved eggs must be eaten within 1 to 2 hours. Do not expose them to the air for a long time or put them in the refrigerator for the next meal, otherwise they are prone to infection with Salmonella.

The suitable temperature for the growth of Salmonella is 20℃~37℃. It will float in the air with dust and multiply rapidly when it encounters a suitable carrier. Preserved eggs are such a carrier. They can provide a lot of nutrients for Salmonella and make the bacteria multiply rapidly. Eating such infected eggs will cause poisoning. It is worth noting that even if the preserved eggs infected with this bacteria are placed in the refrigerator, the low temperature cannot prevent the large-scale reproduction of bacteria, but only makes them less active. Salmonella will not die until 5 minutes at 70℃~80℃. Therefore, after peeling the preserved eggs, steam them at high temperature for about 5 minutes, or put them in the microwave for a "turn", and then eat them after cooling. It does not affect the taste at all, and it is relatively safe. If you experience abdominal pain, watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms after eating preserved eggs, you can drink some sugar and salt water (1:1 ratio) to control the condition before going to the hospital.