I add a pinch of Szechuan pepper corn and Chinese 5 spice to the simmering liquid. Left the sake out altogether b/c I didn't have any and they come out delicious every time. I make probably half a dozen at a time b/c they keep well.

My family loves this recipe Thank you for introducing us to this food item. My family liked my attempt to follow the recipe. Getting the yolks just right will take practice, but they were enjoyed with a firmer yolk all the same. I have so many unanswered questions about this food item. Can we make substitutions for the expensive sake? We assume the long boil time is to remove alcohol, is that correct?(So is it safe to continue to send these to elementary school in lunch boxes?) Can you reuse the expensive marinade? How many times/for how many days? Also, we are fascinated by the changes the eggs are undergoing in the marinade and how different the eggs are (texture in particular) depending on how long they sit in the marinade. I see other recipes where the eggs are removed from the marinade after a number of hours. We enjoy the texture with the longer soak (as the moisture is drawn out of the egg white it becomes more translucent and a firmer texture). It's motivating us to look for other types of marinated eggs. We'd love to know where we can learn more about the tradition of this food, the science about what is happening, and other ways to change the flavor and texture of eggs. Thanks for opening our eyes. Pros: The whole family loves them, 3 days window gives us lots of flexibility for use, protein! Cons: Expensive, small yield, I have so many unanswered questions about this food item