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2 Eggs as Decoration 3 External links |
Birds' eggs are a common food source. The most-used eggs are chicken, duck and goose, but smaller eggs such as quail eggs are occasionally used as a gourmet ingredient, as are the largest bird eggs, from Ostriches. Eggs are frequently used in both sweet and savoury dishes as a source of protein and/or to bind the other ingredients in a recipe together. Sometimes the whole egg is cooked together. Sometimes the egg yolk is used separately from the egg white.
Many who practice Vegetarianism feel it is acceptable to eat eggs as the bird which lays the eggs is not killed. People concerned about animal welfare are reluctant to eat Battery eggs as Factory farming is considered cruel. Even Free Range eggs sometimes are unacceptable to those who are concerned about animal welfare as it is sometimes felt that alleged free range birds may not be much better off than battery birds.
Eggs in Cooking
The primary cooking techniques for savoury eggs are:
Eggs may also be pickled, hard-boiled and refrigerated, or eaten raw, though the latter is not recommended for people who may be susceptible to salmonella, such as the old, the infirm or pregnant women.
When eggs become rotten, the yolk will turn green and the egg will emit a sulphurous smell when broken. Although deemed offensive by most Western palates, fermented eggs are considered a delicacy by some in China, when prepared using a special method which includes letting them sit for three months to age (or rot, depending on one's interpretation).
Eggs as Decoration
External links