Korean Sauna Eggs (맥반석 계란)

I had my first Korean sauna experience yesterday. When my new Korean friend asked if I wanted to experience a Korean sauna, I said yes, knowing full well that I’d have to get into my birthday suit. I went to a Japanese communal bath and sauna in my early 20s, but I don’t remember if I was brave enough to bare it all. I guess as I’ve gotten older, I care less and less about what people think of my body.

There were outdoor hot tubs on the balcony and the view was spectacular. I had a panoramic view of the Han river and the iconic Olympic Bridge in the distance. Sadly, the air was smoggy, so the skies weren’t clear blue. I find Seoul not unlike Los Angeles, with tons of traffic and air pollution. I’d share a picture, but phones or cameras weren’t allowed. With so many naked bodies walking around, it would be too risky.

A popular treat consumed after a long hot soak is the aptly named Korean sauna eggs. There weren’t any at this particular sauna, but I’ve often seen them in the eggs section of grocery stores. Once, I mistakenly purchased a carton, thinking that they were just the usual raw eggs, but when I cracked them open, they were fully cooked rubbery eggs. They were so cooked that the whites were brown and I thought I had bought soy sauce braised eggs!

They get their color through a long cook time. I can imagine in the old days that they probably just cooked the eggs in the sauna and when you were done, the eggs would be ready too.

I didn’t particularly like the store-bought eggs, so I regret that I didn’t take any photos. I will, thus, borrow and credit the following picture from Amy + Jacky’s excellent recipe. According to my Korean friend, homemade pressure-cooked eggs are superior to store-bought ones, so I’ll have to try them out sometime when I can access my kitchen again. (I don’t even have an oven here! *cry*)