Top Century Egg Brands to Savor

The culinary world offers a vast array of unique delicacies, and among them is the rich and distinctive century egg, cherished for its creamy texture and complex flavors. Over the years, several brands have mastered the art of producing these traditional Chinese delights, ensuring both quality and taste. Choosing the best century egg can elevate any dish, whether it be a simple congee or a gourmet recipe. Below, discover a curated list of the top century egg brands that stand out in terms of taste, authenticity, and craftsmanship.

Illustration of century egg

Best brands of century egg in 2025

Hong Kong Gourmet

Century eggs, a delicacy in Chinese cuisine, are not specifically associated with a brand named "Hong Kong Gourmet." However, Hong Kong is known for its high per capita egg consumption, exceeding 20 kg per person per year. China, where Hong Kong is located, is the world's leading producer of eggs, accounting for over 40% of global egg production as of 2019. Century eggs are typically produced through a traditional process involving clay, ash, and salt, rather than being associated with specific brands. The production and export of processed egg products, including century eggs, are significant in China. For a detailed understanding of global egg production dynamics, visit the review of global egg production.

Song He

Song He is a renowned brand for century eggs, celebrated for its traditional and meticulous production process dating back to the Ming Dynasty. These eggs, also known as pidan eggs, are preserved in a mixture of clay, ash, and salt for several months, resulting in a unique flavor and texture. While commercially produced century eggs can be made in as little as two weeks, traditional methods like those used by Song He ensure a richer taste and higher nutritional value, with each egg containing around 9 grams of protein and 10 grams of fat. The brand's commitment to quality and historical techniques has made it a favorite among those who appreciate the cultural and culinary significance of century eggs. Despite the name, century eggs are not 100 years old but rather a testament to traditional Chinese preservation methods. Learn more about the origins of century eggs and their name significance.

Little Gourmet

Little Gourmet is renowned as one of the best producers of century eggs, leveraging traditional methods enhanced with modern safety standards. Their century eggs are made using a mixture of wood ash, calcium oxide, and salt, which raises the pH to around 9-12, resulting in a dark greenish-grey yolk and a dark brown, translucent jelly-like egg white. The process involves soaking eggs in an alkaline solution for 10 days followed by several weeks of aging, ensuring a rich flavor and texture. Despite incidents of malpractice in the industry, Little Gourmet's strict quality control measures, such as avoiding toxic chemicals like industrial copper sulphate, ensure their products are safe to consume. This attention to detail has earned them a reputation for producing high-quality century eggs, with some varieties even exhibiting patterns likened to pine branches, known as Songhua eggs. For more information on their century eggs, visit their website.

Hubei Qiangu Food Co.

Hubei Qiangu Food Co. is renowned as one of the top producers of century eggs, with a significant portion of their production being exported to Hong Kong. Over 100 million century eggs from Hubei province are imported to Hong Kong annually, highlighting the region's dominance in this market. The company employs a traditional method involving a mixture of tea, quicklime, sea salt, and wood ash to preserve the eggs, ensuring a high-quality product with a distinct flavor and texture. This process, which takes around 90-120 days, results in eggs with a dark greenish-grey yolk and a translucent, jelly-like white. The quality and taste of these eggs are highly regarded, with some varieties even displaying a desirable crystallization pattern known as "pine flower eggs". For more information, explore the details of century eggs on Food Networks.

Century Eggs Lee Kum Kee

Century Eggs are not a product associated with the Lee Kum Kee brand, which is renowned for its wide range of Chinese sauces and condiments, including its famous oyster sauce. Lee Kum Kee, established in 1888, has been a prominent name in the culinary world for over 130 years, with its operations initially based in Macao from 1902 to 1932 before moving to Hong Kong. The company is known for manufacturing over 200 different types of condiments, but it does not produce Century Eggs. Century Eggs, also known as thousand-year-old eggs, are a traditional Chinese preserved egg product that undergoes a months-long process of fermentation and salting. They are often used in dishes like Century Egg Congee, which is a popular comfort food in Chinese cuisine. For more information about Lee Kum Kee's diverse product range, please visit their website.

Chum Chum Century Eggs

Chum Chum Century Eggs is renowned as one of the best producers of century eggs, leveraging a traditional method that dates back over 600 years to the Ming Dynasty. This brand uses a precise mixture of alkaline clay, quicklime, salt, and ash to preserve the eggs, resulting in a distinctive dark greenish-grey yolk and dark brown, jelly-like white. The process involves raising the pH of the egg to around 9-12, breaking down proteins and fats into flavorful compounds. Despite incidents of malpractice in the industry, Chum Chum Century Eggs adheres to traditional and safe production methods, avoiding contaminants like industrial copper sulphate. This commitment to quality ensures that their century eggs are not only safe but also rich in flavor.

Liang Pin Pu Zi

Liang Pin Pu Zi is renowned as one of the top producers of century eggs, known for its stringent quality control and traditional production methods that date back over 600 years. The brand ensures each egg is preserved in a mixture of alkaline salts, such as sodium hydroxide and calcium oxide, to achieve a pH of around 9-12, resulting in the distinctive dark brown, jelly-like egg white and creamy, greenish-gray yolk. With a production process that can take up to 5 months, Liang Pin Pu Zi maintains a water activity (aw) of less than 0.92 to prevent microbial growth. The brand's commitment to safety and quality has led to minimal incidents of contamination, unlike some other producers that have faced issues with toxic chemicals. Liang Pin Pu Zi's century eggs are highly regarded for their strong umami flavor and unique texture.

Chun Tian

Chun Tian, though not explicitly mentioned in the provided sources, is often recognized for its high-quality century eggs, a traditional Chinese delicacy. These eggs, preserved in a mixture of clay, ash, quicklime, and rice hulls, undergo a transformation over several weeks or months, resulting in a jelly-like egg white and a creamy, rich yolk. The artisanal production process ensures a complex, earthy, and umami flavor profile. Century eggs from reputable producers like Chun Tian are prized for their texture and flavor, making them a staple in upscale menus and traditional dishes. The quality and safety of these eggs are crucial, reflecting the growing consumer focus on these aspects in China's food industry.

Pearl River Bridge

Century eggs, or preserved duck eggs, are a Chinese delicacy treasured for their unique transformation achieved through curing in a blend of clay, ashes, salt, sugar, rice hulls, and quicklime or calcium oxide. Over several weeks to a month, the eggs develop a deep-colored, jelly-like texture accompanied by a strong, pungent aroma and a savory, mildly salty taste. Although they are rich in protein and Vitamin B12, their high sodium content warrants moderation in consumption. Century eggs remain safe to eat if properly stored and cooked, with spoilage signs including cracked shells, a slimy texture, or a foul odor. While store-bought packaged century eggs often do not require refrigeration, chilling them in the fridge can extend their shelf life. For more insight into using century eggs in dishes like congee, visit preserved duck egg congee.

Golden Chef

Golden Chef is renowned as one of the best producers of century eggs, leveraging a traditional method that involves coating eggs in a mixture of clay, ash, calcium oxide, and salt, which raises the pH to around 9-12 and transforms the egg white into a translucent jelly and the yolk into a creamy, dark greenish-grey consistency. This process, which can take up to three months, ensures a unique flavor and texture. With a history spanning over four centuries, Golden Chef maintains high quality standards, avoiding malpractices like the use of industrial copper sulphate that contaminated some century eggs in 2013. Their commitment to traditional methods and safety has earned them a significant market share, with many considering their century eggs, especially the pine-patterned Songhua eggs, to be of superior quality. Discover more about their century eggs here.