Amazing Eggs!

Did you know that there are chickens out there that lay pink or blue and even green tinted eggs? Amazing right? Each day millions of people crack open an egg without giving it a second thought. Well guess what I did, I gave it a second thought. I wanted to know more about this egg I was eating. Thinking about this how many of us really know anything about the eggs we eat. I have always just taken for granted that I would go to my local grocery store and there in the refrigerator section I would find my typical white eggs. Oh of course now a day you have your choice of brown eggs as well. Then you have to choose between the generic stores brand, the Free Rang, and the Organic. I had always believed for quite some time that the store brand was always fine until I became more knowledgeable. Now I purchase Free Rang. Other than those basic choices I knew nothing about my egg until today. So I thought why not share with those of you who have ever wondered for a moment…um wonder where this egg came from.
Let’s first start off by stating the obvious. Not all eggs are chicken eggs. There are duck eggs, quail eggs, goose eggs, turkey eggs and ostrich eggs. We even have pigeon, pheasant and emu eggs. I can honestly say I have not eaten the majority of these eggs.

Duck eggs are larger than chicken eggs and more flavorful as well. Be cautious though as they do have a higher fat level. When cooking take care not to overcook as this can cause the egg to become tough and rubbery.

Quail eggs are much smaller than chicken eggs but similar in flavor. Their shells tend to be speckled with color from a dark brown to blue or white. You would most likely want to eat this egg either hard boiled or perhaps atop a tuna tartar as an appetizer or hors d’oeuvre.

Speckled quail eggs.

Goose eggs are larger than a chicken egg and are high in fat and cholesterol. Being as rich as they are they are commonly used in desserts.

Goose Egg

Turkey eggs are larger than a chicken egg but similar in taste. The shell color tends to be white to cream and can have specs of brown. Take care when eating these eggs as they are high in fat and cholesterol. You can locate them for purchase in some specialty markets.

Turkey Eggs

Ostrich eggs are extremely large. One egg is equivalent to twenty to twenty four large chicken eggs. The ostrich egg is mainly sold for its uniqueness. When used for cooking you will find it best in omelets or scrambled.

Ostrich Egg compared to brown eggs

Pigeon, pheasant and emu eggs are perfectly edible but less widely available. You can sometimes get them from local farmers or luxury grocery stores.

Now that we have identified most of the edible eggs lets put our focus back to chicken eggs. White chicken eggs are what most of us identify with. These eggs tend to be laid by the White Leghorn chickens which are the most prolific white egg layers used in the commercial industry.


White Leghorn