When we speak of eggs, we think of the chicken egg but there are other eggs also like caviar and other fish eggs
Published : 13 Oct 2023, 09:09 PM
What came first: The egg or the chicken? Well it’s that old riddle that has sparked many fun debates through the ages. It’s a tricky question because a chicken is needed to lay an egg, and a chicken comes from an egg.
Thankfully, there’s no need to keep pondering over this now. Science has found the answer to this evolutionary biology but today we are not getting into that discussion.
Well, most of us love eggs in one form or another. How about that egg omelette with lots of tomatoes, onions, green chillies and cheese for breakfast? Easier still, the poached egg with the sunny side up or the boiled egg with a little salt and black pepper powder; or the egg sandwich with raw tomatoes, lettuce and boiled chicken shreds with mayonnaise and tomato sauce makes a perfect meal for breakfast..
That reminds me of those beef or chicken burgers with lots of mayonnaise sauce trickling down the sides. Nothing beats the taste of mayonnaise with coleslaw salad. Well here also you see eggs ruling the sauce, as mayonnaise is prepared with eggs. Let’s not get into the salmonella content of the eggs because it can be neutralised with proper cooking. So there you go- no harm in that.
Think about the rich creamy cakes, the crispy crunchy cookies or the soft melting pudding in your mouth-ah what ecstasy! What a delightful assortment of delicious desserts you can prepare from eggs!
What about the sweet creamy ‘deemer korma’ with ‘polau’ or the spicy ‘deemer dopiyaza,’even the boiled egg with chicken biriyani - all satisfy our taste buds. How can you resist eggs?
Eggs are those extraordinary super foods which can be used for an array of scrumptious dishes and enjoyed any time of the day. The possibilities are endless!
Interestingly, in the bygone days, the meaning of the number of the pleats in a chef’s hat was related to the number of ways that the chef was able to cook an egg. The ultimate goal and badge of true honour was to get 100 pleats. The list must have gone more than that now.
One small tip: you can test the freshness of eggs by dropping the egg in a glass of water. If it sinks, it’s fresh. If it floats- it’s probably old.
We, humans, have been consuming various types of eggs as food since 7,500 BC. Eggs are one of nature's best quality protein sources (just two eggs have 13 grams of high-quality protein) which are crucial for human development and play an important role in households across the world as a staple food item. Eggs contain vitamins A, D, E, K, B2, B6, and B12. Minerals, including zinc, iron, selenium and copper, are abundant in eggs. These essential nutrients support body’s natural immune system, advance physical growth and overall health; improve brain and muscle development, prevent disease, and aid brain development in children. Eggs also help in regenerative medicine, like bone regeneration and tissue engineering. The number of nutritional benefits and their easy availability make these a regular part of daily meals in many people’s lives.
When we speak of eggs, we think of the chicken egg but there are other eggs also like caviar and other fish eggs.
Some people might suggest that eggs cause cholesterol. According to Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, a Professor of Medicine at Mayo College of Medicine, though chicken are naturally high in cholesterol, the cholesterol in eggs doesn't seem to raise cholesterol levels the way some other foods do.
Most healthy people can eat up to seven eggs a week without increasing their risk of heart disease. Some studies suggest that this level of egg consumption might even help prevent certain types of stroke and a serious eye condition called macular degeneration that can lead to blindness.
If you like eggs but don't want the cholesterol, use only the egg whites. Egg whites contain no cholesterol but still contain protein. Eggs are unbeatable when it comes to variety and high-quality protein at a low price.
Each year, the International Egg Commission (IEC) celebrates the remarkable mighty egg on the second Friday in October as World Egg Day. It was first celebrated by IEC in 1996 in Vienna.
The World Egg Day is an annual celebration that recognizes the nutritional value, versatility, affordability and importance of eggs in diets and its potential to fight common nutrient deficiencies for people around the world. It also promotes the contributions of the egg industry to food security and economic development.
Do you know that Canada’s more than 1,200 egg farmers produced 789 million dozen eggs in 2020? That’s over 9 billion eggs! The Canadian egg industry supports over 18,500 jobs and contributes $1.3B to Canada’s GDP. Remarkable-isn’t it?
Each year, IEC sets a theme for the celebration for the day. In 2023, the day will be celebrated on Friday 13 October. This year's theme is ‘Eggs for a healthy future'. It highlights the power of the egg in improving nutritional, societal and environmentally sustainable outcomes, leading to healthier futures for all.
Various organisations, groups, and individuals celebrate the event. Since the celebrations in 1996, this day has gained so much recognition worldwide that in 2021, 100 countries celebrated the day on social media.
The importance of eggs has been widespread for centuries. Several cultures worldwide consider the egg as sacred - something that represents life itself. In many cultures eggs have been a sign of fertility and representative of life, renewal and rebirth.
Ancient Egyptians believed the sun god hatched from an egg. On the other hand, the sun was taken as an egg itself, laid daily by the celestial goose, Seb, the god of the earth. Also the Egyptian pictures of Osiris, the resurrected corn god, show him returning to life rising up from the shell of a broken egg.
The Phoenix is also said to have emerged from an egg. This wonderful mythical bird was believed to have lived for hundreds of years. When its full span of life was over it died in flames, rising again in a new form from the egg it had laid.
The Phoenix became a Christian symbol in the first century AD. It appears on funeral stones in early Christian art, churches, religious paintings, and stonework. The Easter egg is a representation of that egg.
In Hinduism, the egg shell represents the heavens, the white the air, and the yolk the earth.According to the Vedic writings the cosmic egg, has a spirit living within it which will be born, die, and be born again.
In Finnish mythology, Luonnotar, the Daughter of Nature floated on the waters of the sea. One day an eagle landed on her knees and laid six eggs. After a few days, the eggs became so hot that she moved her legs, causing the eggs to crash into the water which then formed the earth, moon, stars, and sun.
In China, there are several legends that hold a cosmic egg at their centre, including the idea that the first being or certain people were born of eggs.
Eggs have also inspired creative minds. Many writers have created literature based on this small little object symbolising vast subjects. In the short story ‘The Egg’ written by American writer Andy Weir an egg is the main character depicting the entire universe symbolising all of humanity. Humpty Dumpty is also an egg shaped character with underlying meanings.
People also make doll’s heads with the drained egg shells and lamps from Ostrich eggs.
Such is the powerful impact of the mighty egg on human minds.
So what are you having today to celebrate World Egg Day: egg omelette with lots of mozzarella cheese or that egg sandwich with chicken shreds and mayonnaise trickling down its sides; or polau with egg korma or do piyaza? Whatever you take, celebrate this powerful little egg that helps us with so many nutrients.
The fresh smell of the piping hot omelette on my breakfast plate is alluring - I have to go.
Enjoy your egg meal too.
[Tasneem Hossain is a multilingual poet, columnist, op-ed and fiction writer, translator and training consultant. She is the Director of Continuing Education Centre, Bangladesh.]
References:
1. D'Costa, Krystal, Beyond Ishtar: The Tradition of Eggs at Easter, Scientific American, March 31, 2013.
2. Celebrating 25 years of World Egg Day, Egg Farmers of Canada, September 28, 2021