Steamed Egg Custard
Also: Zheng shuidan, Chinese steamed eggs, Water egg, Steamed water egg
A Chinese savoury steamed custard of beaten egg whisked with water or stock and gently steamed to a silky, smooth set, finished with soy sauce and sesame oil.
Identity criteria
- 1Beaten egg diluted with water or stock, not milk, to a precise ratio
- 2Steamed gently to a smooth, tender, just-set custard with no holes or curdling
- 3Savoury, dressed with light soy sauce and sesame oil
- 4Surface kept glassy-smooth (often steamed covered)
- 5Soft enough to eat with a spoon, served warm over or with rice
Components
EggsessentialThe custard base; beaten and strained for smoothness
Minced pork, shrimp, or century egg (in topped versions)optional
Sesame oilessentialA few drops finish the dish with aroma
Water or light stockessentialThe egg-to-liquid ratio determines the silky set; using milk makes a different dish
Light soy sauceessentialDrizzled after steaming for savour
Scallionoptional
Technique
- Straining the egg mixture
- Removing foam and chalazae gives the finished custard its flawless, silky surface
- Gentle covered steaming
- Low, even steam prevents the egg from curdling into holes; covering keeps the surface smooth
Form & serving
- Served
- In the steaming bowl, eaten with a spoon
- Temperature
- warm
- Portion
- Shared or individual bowl, often part of a multi-dish meal
- Pairs with
- Steamed rice · Other home-style dishes
Character
Flavour
Texture
Silky, soft, just-set custard that wobbles
Eaten
An everyday Chinese home dish, especially for children and the elderly, served warm and soft with rice.
When
year-round
Variations & related
Regional variations
- Chawanmushi · Japan
Japanese cousin steamed in a cup with dashi and savoury fillings
- Gyeran-jjim · Korea
Korean steamed egg, often fluffier and more vigorously cooked
- Three-egg custard (sānsè dàn) · China
Made with regular, salted, and century egg
Related dishes
- sibling Chawanmushi
Japanese steamed savoury egg custard
- sibling Gyeran-jjim
Korean steamed egg
- pairs-with Steamed rice
Eaten with rice as a soft, comforting home dish
Substitutions
Water → Light stockadmissible
Stock adds savour while keeping the silky texture
Light soy and sesame oil finish → Salt onlyadmissible
Workable but loses the characteristic flavour finish
Water/stock → Milk or creaminadmissible
Dairy turns it into a Western-style custard, not the light savoury Chinese water egg
Gentle steaming → High hard boiling steaminadmissible
Aggressive heat curdles the egg into a pocked, watery mess
Common mistakes
- Wrong egg-to-water ratio, giving a rubbery or watery custard
- Steaming too hot, curdling the egg into holes
- Not straining the mixture, leaving a bubbly, uneven surface
- Using milk instead of water/stock, which changes the dish entirely
Provenance
A homely Chinese steamed-egg dish made across the country, part of the broad East Asian family of savoury steamed egg custards.
Claimed by: China
References
- 1.Chinese home-cooking tradition
- 2.East Asian steamed-egg references
Confidence: high