皮蛋
pídàn/pʰi³⁵ tän⁵¹/
The English phrase "century egg" is translated into Chinese as 皮蛋 (pídàn).
What does it mean word for word?
The term 皮蛋 literally means "skin egg": 皮 (pí) means "skin" or "peel", and 蛋 (dàn) means "egg". This refers to the dark, gelatinous texture of the egg white.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is pídàn. The IPA is /pʰi³⁵ tän⁵¹/.
Did you know?
- Despite the name 'century egg', these eggs are typically prepared and eaten within just a few weeks or months. The name is a hyperbolic way of suggesting a very long aging process.
- In many parts of China, the term 松花蛋 (sōnghuādàn), meaning 'pine flower egg', is used instead of 皮蛋. This refers to the beautiful, frost-like crystalline patterns that appear on the egg white during the curing process.
- The production of 皮蛋 relies on an alkaline solution, often involving wood ash or lime. This chemical reaction is what changes the egg's color from clear to dark and alters its pH level.
Examples in context
- 你吃过皮蛋吗？Have you tried century eggs?
- 这道菜用松花蛋是最好的。Using century eggs in this dish is the best option.
- 今晚的酸辣汤里放了一些皮蛋儿。We added some century eggs to the hot and sour soup tonight.
- 我想吃皮蛋。Wǒ xiǎng chī pídàn.I want to eat century egg.
- 皮蛋的味道很特别。Pídàn de wèidào hěn tèbié.The taste of century egg is very unique.
- 这盘皮蛋很好吃。Zhè pán pídàn hěn hǎochī.This plate of century egg is delicious.
Example conversation
Wei and Yuting are eating dinner at a Chinese restaurant.
- 伟 Wei雨婷，你想试试皮蛋吗？Yǔtíng, nǐ xiǎng shìshì pídàn ma?Yuting, do you want to try the century egg?
- 雨婷 Yuting我不喜欢吃皮蛋。Wǒ bù xǐhuān chī pídàn.I don't like eating century egg.
- 伟 Wei没关系，我一个人吃吧。Méiguānxì, wǒ yīgè rén chī ba.That's okay, I will eat it by myself.
- 雨婷 Yuting那我就吃别的菜了。Nà wǒ jiù chī bié de cài le.Then I will eat other dishes.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 皮蛋, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
