World Egg day: 30 Interesting Facts about Egg

1. Chicken earlobes can predict what color egg they will lay.

2. In total, the U.S. produces about 75 billion eggs a year. That’s about 10% of the world's supply.

3. The Guinness World Record for omelet making is held by Howard Helmer, who made 427 omelets in 30 minutes.

4. White eggs are the color preferred in most of the U.S., but brown eggs are preferred in New England. A hen’s color indicates the color of the eggs it will lay: White leghorn hens, the most common type in the U.S., lay white eggs.

5. To tell if an egg is raw or hard-boiled, spin it. Because the liquids have set into a solid, a hard-boiled egg will easily spin. The moving liquids in a raw egg will cause it to wobble.

6. The Zillion-Dollar Frittata is the most expensive omelet in the world: This $1,000 dish is served at Norma’s at the Le Parker Meridien hotel in NYC. It’s made with six eggs, an entire lobster, and 10 ounces of sevruga caviar.

7. Chickens aren’t the only birds that lay edible eggs. Duck, quail, emu, goose, and ostrich eggs can all be cooked up, as well.

8. Brown eggs are more expensive than white, but it's not because they're healthier

9. Eggs are one of the few dietary sources of vitamin D

10. It takes a hen between 24 and 26 hours to develop an egg. Once she lays an egg, the development of a new egg normally starts within 30 minutes.

11. Older hens tend to lay bigger eggs, but double-yolked eggs are produced by younger hens whose egg production cycles are not yet synchronized.

12. How often does a hen lay an egg? The entire time from ovulation to laying is about 25 hours. Then, about 30 minutes later, the hen will begin to make another one.

13. The more yellow and orange pigmented grains the chicken eats, the more yellow the yolk will be!

14. Yes, it is safe to store eggs at room temperature. But, if you want to extend their shelf life it's best to refrigerate them. Eggs age more in one day at room temperature than in one week in the refrigerator

15. Eating raw eggs won’t help you build muscle. Only 51% of the proteins in raw eggs are digestible, while 91% of the proteins in cooked eggs are digestible.

16. Cloudy egg whites mean that the eggs are extremely fresh, while clear egg whites are an indicator of older eggs.  The cloudiness of raw white is due to the natural presence of carbon dioxide that has not had time to escape through the shell and is an indication of a very fresh egg. As eggs age, carbon dioxide escapes and the white becomes more transparent.

17. The word “yolk” is derived from an Old English word that means “yellow.” Therefore it is egg white and egg yellow.

18. Eggs have about 6 grams of high-quality protein in them. Eggs are also rich in choline which helps promote normal cell activity.

19. Eggs are a good source of nutrition for your eyes.

20. Eggs contain lutein which helps in preventing age-related cataracts and muscle degeneration. 

21. Eggs contain a high dose of protein (help you build muscle) and healthy fats (help you feel full and satisfied) at little caloric cost. You will also benefit from antioxidants that fight cancer and reduce the effects of aging.

22. Egg protein has just the right mix of essential amino acids needed by humans to build tissues. It is second only to mother’s milk for human nutrition.

23. The yolk and the whites have the same amount of protein.

24. 'Cage-free' eggs may come from hens that live in cages.

25. All eggs are hormone-free.

26. The reason eggs are blue isn't too appealing.

28. How thick an eggshell is will depend on the age of the laying hen.

29. Iowa produces the most eggs, around 15 billion, in the country. 

30. Eggs can last in the refrigerator for up to a month after the sell-by date on the carton.