1. Bring the water to a boil and place all room-temperature eggs into the boiling water carefully without cracking them. They should rest just below the water surface. Boil for 6 minutes. For harder egg yolk, cook it longer. The fresher the eggs, the easier it will be to peel them after boiling.

2. Transfer the hard boiled eggs into an ice bath. Peel. (It will be easier to peel under running water.) The yolks of these eggs are soft, so be very careful not to break them.

3. In a sauce pot, add 4 cups of water, brown sugar, 5 Chinese spice powder, soy sauce, peppercorns and rice vinegar. Bring to a boil to bring out all the flavors. Turn off the heat and allow the marinade to reach room temperature.

4. Place the marinade into a large ziplock bag and place the hard boiled eggs into the bags. Make sure the eggs are all submerged in the marinade. (Placing the ziplock bag into a bowl can be helpful when adding the eggs.) Place the marinade bags into the refrigerator over night to allow the flavor to infuse into the eggs.

5. Do not over soak the eggs, it will become too salty for taste. Depending on the soy sauce you used, it may take longer to reach the dark color and saltiness you desire.

6. Serve the eggs cut in half and served over rice or noodles. Either way you decide to serve, it will be delicious.

7. The eggs can be kept in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Serve cold, or warm up in a hot noodle soup.

The marinade can be used again and again. However, I do recommend bringing the marinade to a boil before using again.