The thousand-year-old egg (video)

WASHINGTON, Mar. 13, 2018 — Century eggs, or pidan, are a preserved food made by fermenting duck eggs in alkali. The green and black color of these eggs is not very appealing at first blush, and the smell is even worse. However, this Ming dynasty innovation effectively extended the shelf life of eggs and has been adopted as a beloved comfort food in China and throughout the world. Reactions explains the chemistry behind this unusual culinary offering: https://youtu.be/NL8kMj-GlLs.

Reactions is a video series produced by the American Chemical Society and PBS Digital Studios. Subscribe to Reactions at http://bit.ly/ACSReactions and follow us on Twitter @ACSReactions.

The American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society, is a not-for-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. ACS does not conduct research, but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.