mayak eggs
Mayak eggs are Korean soy marinated eggs with jammy yolks and a salty sweet marinade loaded with garlic, green onion, cilantro, sesame, and furikake. The name loosely translates to “drug eggs” referring to how addictive they are. Once marinated the eggs are sliced over hot rice and finished with a generous spoonful of the marinade.
Mayak eggs vs. Gyeran jangjorim
Mayak eggs and gyeran jangjorim are both Korean soy seasoned egg dishes but they’re prepared differently. Mayak eggs are soft boiled first then chilled and soaked in a soy based marinade which leaves the yolks soft and jammy while the whites absorb the seasoning. Gyeran jangjorim is more traditional and is made by simmering hard boiled eggs in a seasoned soy sauce mixture. The simmering gives jangjorim eggs firmer yolks, darker whites, and a deeper cooked soy flavor while Mayak eggs are softer and fresher tasting.
Why older eggs are easier to peel
Very fresh eggs can be frustrating to peel because the egg white has a lower pH which causes it to adhere more strongly to the membrane just beneath the shell. As an egg sits carbon dioxide gradually escaped through tiny pores in the shell and the pH of the white rises. That weakens the attachment to the membrane which allows the shell to separate more cleanly after cooking.
6 minute vs 7 minute eggs
A single minute makes a noticeable difference when you’re making soft boiled eggs. At around 6 minutes the white is set but delicate and the yolk is still quite runny in the center so it spills into the rice when cut open. At 7 minutes the white is firmer and easier to peel while the yolk comes thicker and jammy rather than liquid. Around 6 ½ minutes falls somewhere in between but the best cooking time ultimately comes down to how runny or jammy you prefer the yolk.
Can you reuse Mayak egg marinade?
It’s best not to reuse Mayak marinade for another batch of eggs. Once it has been sitting with cooked eggs and fresh ingredients like garlic and green onion bacteria and moisture from those ingredients can enter the marinade and the soy sauce doesn’t make it shelf stable. You can spoon the marinade over the eggs and rice while the batch is still fresh and properly refrigerated but discard the remaining marinade when the eggs are gone rather than saving it for a new batch.
How to make mayak eggs?
Bring a large pot of water to fast boil. To make peeling easier add a few tbsp of baking soda and salt in the water, then add eggs and boil for 6-6:30 minutes. Then place the eggs in an ice bath and peel once cool.
In a medium/large bowl whisk together salt, soy sauce, 1 cup water, sugar, garlic cloves, cilantro, green onions, Thai chilies, rice vinegar, sesame seeds, and furikake. Add the peeled eggs, cover, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
To serve cut eggs in half and place them on top of rice with some of the marinating sauce, and drizzle with sesame oil.
Tips
Let the eggs marinade for minimum of 12 hours and up to 4 days. The longer the mayak eggs marinade the bolder the flavor will be.
Serve with jasmine or black rice.
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