On my birthday, I got this weird present. They weren’t wrapped with pretty pink ribbon nor beautifully packed with wrapping paper, but since I got them on my birthday, I consider that they were my birthday present.
The present I got were eggs baked on elvan stone. Have you ever had eggs baked on elvan stone before? I wouldn’t think so. It was my first time trying these eggs too.
You can see them at a Korean sauna called Jjimjilbang (찜질방). These eggs are called “Maekbanseok Gyeran” (맥반석 계란, Maekbanseok is elvan stone and Gyeran is an egg). Apparently lots of people love to eat those eggs there.
Eggs baked on elvan stone are more expensive than normal hard boiled eggs at the Korean sauna. (You might be thinking why would you want to eat an egg at the sauna anyway?) 🙂 Well, I do not know the reasons, but this is part of Korean culture! That’s all I can say for now.
Apparently it takes about 3 hours or more to bake the eggs on the stone and they taste really good when they are still warm. But they were cold when I had them.
It tastes like roasted chestnuts. It’s nutty and smoky. The unshelled egg is soft, delicate, and shiny. When I first cracked the shell, I thought they were boiled in soy sauce because of its brown colour.
Now you would wonder why these eggs are so special? I did too.
I couldn’t find any reason for their popularity, but an elvan stone is known for its health benefits.
Supposedly, it gets rid of harmful metals in your body, it is good for the skin (it cleans skin diseases, like bumps, tumours etc), and when it is heated, it releases far infrared rays, which are good for blood circulation, delaying ageing, and activating cells. So eggs baked on elvan stone must be good too! 🙂
There is some information about elvan stone here. It sums up the health benefits pretty well. Now I feel like going to a spa and having some warm baked eggs on elvan stone. What about you?
Update: You can now make these Korean sauna style eggs at home using a rice cooker! Ready in 50 mins. For a recipe, check here!
