‘Savory Chinese snack with a cracked shell’ NYT Mini Crossword clue answer and hints

Have you ever tried Chinese cuisine or snacks? I have. They’re delicious and full of spices. Today’s NYT Mini Crossword clue, “Savory Chinese snack with a cracked shell,” asks for the name of one of the most popular Chinese snacks with quality health benefits.

If you’re having trouble with today’s NYT Mini Crossword clues, we’ve got the hints and answers below for you to easily finish the word game. 

‘Savory Chinese snack with a cracked shell’ NYT Sept. 28 Mini Crossword hints and answer

• Hint 1: The answer includes the name of a snack that has a marbled appearance.
• Hint 2: The six-letter answer is two words representing a snack that gets its flavor from a brew made with leaves commonly used for hot beverages.
• Hint 3: It starts with the letter “T.”
• Hint 4: The solution is a popular snack found in convenience stores, especially in Taiwan and mainland China, containing nutrients like antioxidants present in the black tea used to prepare the dish.

Let’s jump in and reveal the answer.

The answer to four down in the Sept. 28 New York Times Mini Crossword is “TEAEGG.” Tea eggs are a traditional Chinese snack usually made by boiling eggs in a mixture of tea, soy sauce, and spices, giving them a unique cracked appearance. They’ve been a popular street food and home-cooked snack for centuries across China.

‘Savory Chinese snack with a cracked shell’ NYT Mini Crossword difficulty rating

Even though it’s a very popular snack in countries such as China, and Taiwan, I wasn’t familiar with the dish even though I’ve tried the usual Chinese delicacies. So, I had to solve the crossword to find the answer and do a search later to understand the dish and its cultural significance. So, if you’re not well-versed in Chinese culture, I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t know the answer to this particular clue, as Saturday clues in the NYT Mini Crossword are usually harder and niche-focused. So,  I’d give it a five out of five for difficulty.

NYT Mini Crossword (Sept. 28) answers

Across

• 1A Direction of the sunset—WEST
• 5A Uncle ___, Addams family member played by Fred Armisen on “Wednesday”—FESTER
• 7A Flatten out over time—PLATEAU
• 8A Long, slithery fish—EEL
• 9A Piece on a coatrack—PEG
• 10A Wearers of collars with their owner’s number on them—PETDOGS
• 12A “Wednesday” character played by the hand of Victor Dorobantu, a professional magician—THING
• 13A “___-haw!”—YEE

Down

• 1D Rolling in the dough, so to speak—WEALTHY
• 2D Jokey suffix with “best”—EST
• 3D The first instruction in a list of instructions—STEP ONE
• 4D Savory Chinese snack with a cracked shell—TEA EGG
• 5D Group of naval ships—FLEET
• 6D Potentially tricky spots for vacuuming—RUGS
• 7D Spirited energy—PEP
• 11D Run out of battery—DIE

How to play other word games like the NYT Mini Crossword

If you’ve nailed the NYT Mini word games, try stepping up your difficulty meter with the LA Times and Washington Post crosswords. You can also switch things up with Strands and Spelling Bee for a fresh challenge.