We’ll start by boiling the eggs. Bring a pot of water to the boil. (Make sure that you have enough water to completely submerge all the eggs.) When the water has come to a boil, gently place the eggs into the boiling water, and let it cook for 6 minutes, making sure the water is constantly simmering. Prepare an ice bath, and when the eggs are done, immediately remove them from the boiling water and plunge them into the ice bath to stop the cooking process.

In a small saucepan, add in the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, brown sugar, and all the spices (start anise, cinnamon, and cloves). Place this over high heat, and once it comes to a boil, remove from the heat and add the 240ml of water to it.

Peel the eggs, and place them snugly in a container. Pour the soy marinade over the eggs, making sure all the eggs are completely submerged. (Add a bit more water to the container if they aren’t.) Then, refrigerate the eggs in the marinade for at least 3 hours, or up to 2 days, depending on how salty and umami-laden you’d like it to be. (I find the sweet spot to be at 1 day, after which it can get a little too salty for my taste.) When they’re marinated to your liking, remove them from the soy liquid, and they’re ready to be eaten! Have them on with ramen, rice, or ravish them on their own.