Sun Moon Lake Tea Eggs | Nantou Signature Dish

In front of Xuanguang Temple pier, a pot of braised eggs gurgles away on a large stove. The deep-brown braising liquid drifts with the scent of black tea and shiitake mushroom, carried off by the breeze across Sun Moon Lake. Visitors form long queues the moment they step off the boat. Peel open a warm tea egg — the white has soaked up the broth all the way through, flavour reaching the yolk. For nearly everyone who comes to Sun Moon Lake, this is the lakeside taste they stop to savour.

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

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Peel and eat while hotTea eggs are most fragrant straight out of the pot. Peel while hot to catch the full aroma of the black tea and shiitake braising liquid — the warm, flavour-soaked white is far more satisfying than a cold one.

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Savour the black tea and shiitake notesDon't rush to swallow in one bite. Take a moment to notice the black tea's lingering sweetness and the shiitake's savouriness — those two Yuchi flavours are what sets this apart from an ordinary tea egg.

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Pick one up as you come off the boatXuanguang Temple is one of the ferry stops on Sun Moon Lake. Step off the boat, grab an egg, and walk — it pairs perfectly with the lake view.

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Buy a few to carry alongThey're pocket-friendly priced and easy to take with you. Perfect as a snack on a mountain hike or along the lake-circling trail — it's common to see visitors buying several at once.

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.

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