EGG, EGG, EGG: Interesting facts about (Easter) eggs
Colorful Easter eggs are a traditional part of the festival. Germans eat almost 19 billion eggs a year! Reason enough to take a closer look at the "egg," because no two eggs are the same. It's best to buy and dye the eggs yourself, because colorful ready-made eggs from the supermarket usually come from caged hens. We explain here how you can tell the difference between eggs when you buy them. We also have a tip on how to dye eggs using purely natural dyes.
Are eggs healthy?
Yes! Eggs are better than their reputation because they are full of nutrients. In addition to protein, they are full of vitamins such as vitamin D, B12, K and biotin as well as minerals, especially selenium and iron. At the same time, eggs contain a high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids. Eggs do contain cholesterol, but researchers have found that eating an egg actually lowers cholesterol levels. If we absorb the substance through food, the body reduces its own production. Eggs also make you beautiful! They are rich in vitamin B, protein and also sulfur in the egg yolk, which are important for the health of skin and hair. The lecithin contained in eggs protects the intestinal mucosa and supports the liver in its detoxification work. Lecithin, in turn, contains choline, which acts as a kind of fuel for our brain. Just two hours after ingestion, the performance of short-term memory increases measurably. Eggs keep you full for a long time and can therefore help you lose weight. Over the course of the day, we eat less after a breakfast with eggs. Chicken eggs also influence our hormone balance. The released hormone adinopectin increases the effect of insulin in the fatty tissue - so that the fat metabolism really gets going. Eggs strengthen the immune system because they provide particularly high-quality protein, which is needed to build immune cells and muscles. The egg yolk contains carotene, which protects the body's cells from attacks by free radicals. Eggs, as a natural source of vitamin D, also strengthen bones and teeth. The amino acid (protein building block) tryptophan contained in eggs is directly involved in the formation of the happiness hormone serotonin and lifts our mood. So eggs not only make you healthy, they also make you happy!
White or brown?
The color of eggs does not depend on the color of a chicken's plumage, but on the color of its earlobes. If the chicken has white earlobes, the eggs will be white; chicken breeds with red earlobes produce brown eggs. The color says nothing about the quality or taste of the egg, but northern Europeans clearly prefer brown eggs. Due to the cholesterol content, people with a disturbed fat metabolism or high cholesterol levels should only eat eggs in moderation. However, eggs provide our organism with many vital nutrients. These include vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, D, E and K as well as beta-carotene and the minerals potassium, iron and phosphorus. The trace elements copper, manganese, iodine and fluorine are also valuable for us. The protein is of higher quality than that of fish or meat.
With letter and seal
A look at the eggshell is enough to find out where the egg comes from and what type of farming it was used for. The labelling of eggs with a producer code is mandatory throughout the EU and is structured as follows:
1) Code for the husbandry system:
0 = Organic production
1 = Free range
2 = barn
3 = Cage keeping
2) Country code (origin) – Two letters for the
EU Member State where the egg was produced:
e.g. AT = Austria; BE = Belgium; DE = Germany; NL = Netherlands
Example of a German producer code: 1-DE-0212341
1 = type of husbandry: free range, DE = origin: Germany, 0212341 = farm number, where the first two digits identify the federal state, the third to sixth digits identify the farm and the seventh digit identify the respective stable.
In addition, eggs are divided into quality and weight classes. Class A or "fresh" stands for eggs for private consumption; they have not been washed or otherwise preserved or cooled. Class B or "second quality or downgraded eggs" are not intended for the end consumer, but for companies in the food industry or other companies. The weight classes of eggs range from small "S" to very large "XL". The best before date must not exceed 28 days after laying. The last sale date is the 21st day after laying. For eggs in grade B, the packaging date is given instead of the best before date.
It is always worth taking a close look at the egg - the information on the packaging can be legally misleading. If the eggs were produced in the Netherlands, the egg must be marked with NL. However, if the eggs are sorted and packaged in a German company, it is legally permissible to mark the packaging with DE. With this in mind: keep your eyes open when buying eggs!
The federal states have the following identifiers:
01 = Schleswig-Holstein
02 = Hamburg
03 = Lower Saxony
04 = Bremen
05 = North Rhine-Westphalia
06 = Hesse
07 = Rhineland-Palatinate
08 = Baden-Wurttemberg
09 = Bavaria
10 = Saarland
11 = Berlin
12 = Brandenburg
13 = Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
14 = Saxony
15 = Saxony-Anhalt
16 = Thuringia
With these simple household remedies you can dye Easter eggs naturally:
- Yellow: Turmeric or chamomile flowers
- Yellow to orange: carrots
- Red: beetroot or onions
- Green: spinach, parsley, nettles
- Brown: Black tea, coffee, onion skins
- Blue or purple: blueberries or red cabbage leaves
Once the color has been chosen, herbs, fruits and vegetables should be chopped. Two to three cups of each ingredient is enough for each color. The ingredients must then be soaked in an old pot, for example made of stainless steel. The resulting broth should be mixed with about a liter of water and brought to the boil. When the water is boiling, the eggs can be added for about 12 minutes to hard-boil them. If the Easter eggs were rubbed with vinegar beforehand, the so-called egg stamp can be easily removed after boiling. Both fresh and blown-out eggs can be colored in this way using natural household remedies.
You can find delicious recipes with eggs in our recipe database! For example , Egg Benedict Burger , Dry Aged Tartar with Egg , Italian Parmesan Fried Eggs or Smoked Deviled Eggs with Shrimp .
