To make hard-boiled eggs, place the eggs in a pot and cover them with cold water. Bring the water to a boil. Bring down to a simmer, cover the pot with a lid, and let it simmer for another 10 minutes. Once cooked, remove the eggs and place them in a bowl of ice water to cool down.

Once the eggs are cool enough to touch, gently crack the shells with the back of a spoon.

In a large pot, add water, black tea bags, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cinnamon stick, star anise, bay leaves, rock sugar, and black food coloring. Mix until well combined and the food coloring is well incorporated. Bring it to a simmer and let it simmer for 5 minutes.

Use a spoon or ladle and gently add the cracked eggs into the marinade. Make sure the marinade is covering all the eggs. Let the eggs simmer for at least an hour. The longer they simmer, the more intense the flavor and color. Alternatively, you can leave the eggs soaked in the tea mixture overnight.

Peel the eggs gently, revealing the spiderweb-like patterns. Using a knife, slice each egg in half lengthwise. Scoop out the egg yolks and set the egg whites aside.

In a bowl, add egg yolks, Kewpie Mayo, mustard, salt, pepper, and paprika. Mash the mixture with a fork until smooth. If you prefer a creamier texture, you can use a handheld mixer or a blender to mix the ingredients. Taste the filling and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Pipe or spoon the egg yolk filling into the egg white cups.

Slice 12 black olives into half. Use one half for the spider’s body. Thinly slice the remaining half for the spider’s legs. Arrange the thin slices to look like spider legs around the halved olive. Place 3 peppercorns or capers in front of the halved olive for the spider’s eyes.