Of sun, sand, and salted eggs
I miss going to the beach. I miss the sun, the waves and the smell of the salty breeze. Most of all, I miss experiencing all those with my loved ones.
Now that winter is fast (too fast) approaching, the sun is slowly disappearing from our lives. While during the summer we had too much sun, during the winter we have...sad to say, not enough sun. Finnish summer sun is up until as late as 11 pm while the winter sun is gone as early as 3 pm. For this reason, I have been vigilantly taking my daily dose of vitamin D since I cannot get enough from the sun. The lack of sunlight also triggers loneliness and sometimes, even depression. When the weather gets colder and the nights seem to become longer, the less people, smiles and laughter that you see outside. For someone who came from a country where the sun shines 365 days in a year (except of course for the times when the typhoons are pouring in) and where the people are always up and about smiling and laughing (even if they are broke), it is quite difficult to adjust to this atmosphere. It takes a lot of creativity (like learning how to knit!) and a lot of happy thoughts to get you through one of the coldest (and longest) winters on the planet.
One of the ways I do this is through food, of course. All of my food experiences are tied up with memories, good and bad, happy and sad. If I want to access a memory filled with sun, sand and happiness, I'd choose to cook something that my family and I have had a couple of times while vacationing by the beach. Grilling meats or seafood (since we do not have an abundance of seafood here) is not entirely possible in the Autumn and Winter since it's almost always wet outside. But, making salted eggs is! :) Salted eggs or Itlog Maalat is a popular accompaniment to any food that is grilled. It is mixed with chopped tomatoes and onions and is eaten together with grilled food and a steaming serving of rice. Itlog means egg while maalat or alat means salty, which gives us a rough translation to salted eggs!
Salted eggs are not readily available in Finland. I don't think I have ever seen any Asian groceries selling it. Even if they were, I would believe that those eggs might as well be called golden eggs because it would surely cost a fortune. Thank God for the gift of people who created the Internet! This allows me to do my so-called research on how to make and recreate food from my childhood. When I was younger, I thought that salted eggs were made from burying them in a mixture of mud and lots and lots of salt for a long period of time. Well, after some research, a part of it seems to ring true. :) Salted eggs are duck (or chicken eggs) that are soaked or buried in a brine solution for a period of time. With that in mind, I thought that it would be easy to make my own salted eggs. I only needed eggs, a brine solution and lots of patience.
1 dozen chicken or duck eggs
1. In a pot, combine water and salt. Place the pot on medium heat. Let the mixture simmer until the salt crystals have all dissolved. Let the mixture cool down to room temperature.
2. Prepare a container (it can be a jar, several jars, or plastic container as long as it is airtight). Wash the eggs and gently place each egg into the container.
3. Pour the brine over eggs and into the container, making sure that all of the eggs are submerged in the brine. One technique is to fill a small plastic bag with water, tie it and place it on top of the eggs so that it will prevent the eggs from floating to the top.
4. Seal your containers properly. Place these containers in a cool area or at room temperature for at least 3 weeks. Do not place them in areas where sunlight will directly hit them as this may affect the end result.
5. Do not open the containers to check on the eggs. I assure you, the eggs will be just fine. Patiently wait for 3 weeks.
6. After 3 weeks, boil your eggs like you would any regular egg. After it is boiled, cool and store in the refrigerator. It is now ready to be eaten!
Note: Salted eggs have a shelf-life of up to 40 days from the time that they have been cooked.
Just add chopped tomatoes and onions to the salted egg, serve with some fried fish and lots and lots of rice, you don't even need to go to the beach anymore!
Close your eyes, savor the food and it will bring you closer to home. <3
