Have you ever eaten Century eggs?

No, I haven't eaten one, but I remember seeing a recipe for the brine, and a demonstration of how they're made on the early PBS cooking show Joyce Chen Cooks.

I recall that she didn't cut the finished product with a knife, or other kitchen implement. She used a piece of thread - one end held in her teeth - and wrapped it around the egg, and gently pulled. I don't remember if she explained the reason ... whether it was tradition, or if the texture of the egg wouldn't stand up to a metal slicer.

My reaction to them is the opposite of yours. I think they're a beautiful blue/green color. But, for an egg, that's pretty disgusting.