If you have never had salted egg yolk before, don’t let the sound of it alarm you. It is rich, salty, and most of all delicious. I’m here to tell you why you have to try the ingredient that has taken over Southeast Asia’s food scene.
1. It tastes SO good.
Rich, intense, and bright yellow, salted egg yolks add that umami flavor and a nice pop of color to dishes. They also have this buttery but grainy texture, which has earned it the nickname of “Golden Sand”.
2. The salted egg yolk infatuation is going strong.
Trends come and go, but the love for salted egg yolks is here to stay. While salted eggs have a deeply-rooted place in Chinese cuisine, it wasn’t until a few years ago that their yolks found themselves on menus across Southeast Asia. It is common for a versatile ingredient to be added to both savory dishes and sweet desserts, but the salted egg yolk is being added to everything. You can find salted egg bubble tea, salted egg donuts, salted egg ice cream, salted egg burgers, and salted egg pizza (they’re at Domino’s!).
3. Try something new!
Having something “salted egg” would also be a delicious way for you to experience another culture. As a Chinese-Indonesian, I have enjoyed them in the traditional ways (with my porridge or in my mooncakes) and in the more adventurous ways (my personal favorites are my salted egg fried chicken, cream-filled breads, and potato chips). The salted egg yolk is like our answer to cheese, but it also honestly tastes like nothing else I have ever tried—which is why you need to try it, too.
4. Just look at it...
People are crazy about it, and that in and of itself should tell you something about how good it is. But if you need a little more, here’s photographic evidence (courtesy of our dessert bar favorite, the Golden Sand Lava Cake) that might just make you crave something you have never had:
salted egg yolk lava cake
served with steamed bun cubes,
salted egg custard crumbs,
and vanilla bean ice cream
- Kitsby Dessert Bar, Brooklyn
