Sun Moon Lake Tea Eggs are a lakeside specialty of Yuchi Township, braised for hours in a broth of Sun Moon Lake Assam black tea and Puli shiitake mushrooms until the flavour reaches the yolk. In front of Xuanguang Temple pier, a pot of these eggs gurgles away on a large stove, the deep-brown liquid drifting with the scent of black tea and mushroom across the lake breeze; visitors form long queues the moment they step off the boat, peeling open a warm egg whose white has soaked up flavour all the way through — for nearly everyone who visits Sun Moon Lake, this is the taste they stop to savour.
The anchor vendor, Grandma Jin Pen's Shiitake Tea Eggs, was founded by Zou Jinpen, who obtained the area's only street-vendor licence in 1960 and sold tea eggs at Xuanguang pier for over sixty years. She passed away in September 2022 at age 92, and the stall is now run by her family, continuing the business. The braising liquid is made from Sun Moon Lake Assam black tea and Puli shiitake mushrooms, and the stall remains a well-known queue-forming landmark at Xuanguang Temple pier.
What are Sun Moon Lake Tea Eggs?
Sun Moon Lake Tea Eggs are braised eggs slow-cooked in a broth made from Sun Moon Lake Assam black tea and Puli shiitake mushrooms. Unlike ordinary soy-sauce tea eggs, the braising liquid here uses local black tea for fragrance and shiitake mushrooms for umami depth. The eggs simmer for approximately six hours until fully flavoured all the way through — tea aroma and mushroom richness intertwined — making this the most representative lakeside snack of Yuchi Township.
The soul of this egg lies in two local Yuchi specialties used right at the source: Sun Moon Lake Assam black tea and Puli shiitake mushrooms. The black tea contributes a sweet, lingering tea character; the shiitake mushrooms build a rich savouriness. After hours of slow braising, the white is stained deep brown and even the yolk carries the braise. Settled at Xuanguang Temple pier, framed by the lake's scenery and the sound of ferry horns, it has become many visitors' definitive taste memory of Sun Moon Lake.
How to eat it the authentic way
Local knowledge
Verified facts (sponsored content excluded)
- The anchor vendor, Grandma Jin Pen's Shiitake Tea Eggs, was founded by Zou Jinpen, who in 1960 obtained the only street-food vendor licence in the area.
- The braising liquid is made from Sun Moon Lake Assam black tea and Puli shiitake mushrooms, simmered for approximately six hours. The stall at Xuanguang Temple pier has been a queue-forming landmark for over sixty years.
- This guide is organized by dish. The anchor stall is noted only for location reference and future on-site photography — it is not a vendor ranking.
Visitor tips
- Xuanguang Temple pier is a ferry stop on Sun Moon Lake. You can arrive by boat or by car. Crowds are large on weekends and queues are common.
- This is a pier-side tourist snack. Vendors primarily operate during daytime ferry hours — arrive too late and they may have already closed.
- Coordinates are approximate field-survey values. Actual location and operating hours should be confirmed on-site.
Information compiled from the Nantou County Government tourism resources and local township farmers' associations. Sponsored content has been excluded. Photos will be replaced after on-site photography.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Sun Moon Lake Tea Eggs?
They are braised eggs slow-cooked in a broth of Sun Moon Lake Assam black tea and Puli shiitake mushrooms.
Is Grandma Jin Pen's stall still open?
Founder Zou Jinpen passed away in 2022; the stall is now run by her family and remains open at Xuanguang pier.
What makes the flavour distinctive?
The broth uses local Assam black tea for fragrance and shiitake mushrooms for umami, simmered for about six hours.
Where can you buy one?
Xuanguang Temple pier is a ferry stop on Sun Moon Lake — the stall is right there as you step off the boat.
Sources
- 中央社CNA《日月潭金盆阿嬤92歲辭世 飄香逾60年碼頭茶葉蛋暫停營業》 — 創辦人鄒金盆1960年取得攤販執照、2022年辭世
- 日月潭阿婆茶葉蛋店家資訊（好好玩FUNIT） — 確認2026年現況為家族後人接手繼續營業