Century Egg (China)

Century Egg, preserved for 30 to 50 days in a clay, ash, salt, and lime mixture, transforms duck or quail eggs into a dark green yolk and translucent brown jelly with a pH of 12.5 and 13 grams of protein per egg. The alkaline fermentation breaks down proteins, yielding a creamy texture milder than Surströmming's acid blast. Each egg contains 6% less fat than a fresh duck egg, yet its ammonium and sulfur compounds create an aroma that testers rank as 20% less intense than the Swedish herring's stench. This Chinese delicacy sees 2 million servings yearly, outselling the average preserved egg by 40% in specialty markets.