If you pay a Chinese restaurant in your area a visit, chances are you have already come across offerings with century eggs in them. Although they do not look and smell particularly appetizing, century eggs actually offer so many health benefits. And despite of what they are called, century eggs are not really a hundred years old!

The truth is you can easily make century eggs in your very own kitchen in just a few weeks, letting you enjoy these truly unique Chinese delicacies without having to step foot outside your home or shell out lots of money.

But before we take a look at the steps for making century eggs, let us first spend a little of our time to knowing some of the reasons why it’s a good idea for you to include these treats in your diet.

A lot of people cannot stand the appearance and odor of century eggs. The whites have turned translucent brown. On the other hand, the yolks have become greenish gray. The texture of century eggs is similar to that of hard-boiled eggs. Smell-wise, the pungent odor can easily drive away anyone who is not used to eating century eggs.

But despite of all these inconveniences, century eggs are actually very good for you! According to nutrition experts, some of the most impressive health benefits they offer include the following:

Reduced iron-deficiency anemia risk

Century eggs are great sources of iron, the mineral your body needs for manufacturing enough red blood cells or RBCs.

Lifted mood

Do you know why the sun helps bring a smile on your face? That’s because it supplies your body with mood-lifting vitamin D, which you may also obtain from century eggs.

Lowered osteoporosis risk

Vitamin D that century eggs yield is not only essential for warding off depression, but also osteoporosis because it helps the bones absorb calcium so much better.

Optimized muscle building

Just like regular eggs, century eggs are phenomenal sources of high quality protein. This is why eating them can help in building and maintaining muscles.

Improved cardiovascular health

According to experts, there is a mineral slash antioxidant in century eggs that is known to lower risk of high blood pressure and heart disease, and that’s selenium.

Boosted libido

It is said that century eggs are superb aphrodisiacs, which means that their consumption is ideal for those who have very little or absolutely no sexual appetite.

There are many other health benefits that century eggs provide, but this article is really all about making century eggs at home. So without any more ado, here are the steps to follow:

-Put 1 liter of water in a large saucepan. Using a scale, dissolve 42 grams of sodium hydroxide or lye and 72 grams of salt in the water. By the way, make sure that you are wearing a pair of gloves and a face mask to avoid coming into contact with and inhaling sodium hydroxide. 

-Bring the mixture to a boil using medium heat. Once boiling, switch off the stove and allow it to cool completely. 

-In a large glass jar with a cover, place up to half a dozen chicken eggs. Afterwards, carefully pour the solution you earlier made into the jar. See to it that all of the chicken eggs are completely submerged. Stash the jar covered in a cool and dry spot in your kitchen, and let it stand there for 10 days. 

-Put on a pair of gloves and face mask, and then remove the solution from the jar. Carefully rinse the chicken eggs under running water and then dry using several pieces of kitchen paper. 

-Encase the chicken eggs in modeling clay to keep them from coming into contact with air. Make sure that you don’t break the chicken eggs as you do so. Afterwards, stash all of them in a resealable plastic bag. Place in a cool and dry area in the kitchen and allow them to stay there for 2 weeks. 

-After two weeks, remove chicken eggs from the modeling clay. You just made half a dozen of century eggs!