EGGS EGGS EGGS!!!

In the market you will be able to find a large variety of eggs from the ever so common chicken eggs to the oriental century eggs and salted eggs.Knowing their culinary uses and nutritional values is also very important. I will be addressing these few areas in this blogpost.

Chicken eggs are the most common eggs you can find now on the market and all the more it should! It is cheap, tastes great and has a bunch of other uses. Eggs are a good complement in Asian cuisine, they are often used in soups, like the Si chuan Hot and Sour soup, or fried with other ingredients. One good example is Fu Rong Dan, or Chinese omelet. The Egg whites can be whipped up into stiff peaks to be made into meringue cookies or the petite macarons . The rich yolk can be used in the making of custards and mayonnaise . This is because the lecithin present in egg yolks act as an emulsifying agent , preventing the separation of oil and water, thus forming a stable emulsion.Nowadays, you will be able to find modified eggs in the market.Modified eggs, as the name suggests refer to eggs that have been modified to meet the needs of the consumers. For example, there are low-cholesterol eggs for people who are health conscious but still want the cheap source of complete proteins , or omega-3 enriched eggs for those seeking to reduce risk of heart diseases.

Despite being maligned for their high cholesterol, chicken eggs are an inexpensive source of protein. One serving of egg contains roughly around 6.28 g of proteins, of which 3.47g can be found in the egg white.The shells of chicken eggs usually come in either brown or white, but there is not much difference in the nutritional content. You will be able to find more information about this topic at this URL : http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2014/02/difference-brown-white-eggs/

Chicken eggs can be bought on the market for $2 per 10 eggs.

Quail eggs are also another commonly seen variety of eggs in the market.Quail eggs, despite their small size, contain 3 to 5 times as much as chicken eggs.Regular consumption helps fight against many diseases and they are a natural combatant against digestive tract disorders such as stomach ulcers. Quail eggs also provide 5 times as much iron and potassium as chicken eggs. Iron is especially important for those suffering from iron deficieny and pre-menopausal women. Potassium on the other hand helps reduce muscle weakness or muscle cramps due to potassium deficiency. Quail eggs also have a higher proportion of egg yolk to egg white, giving a creamy mouthfeel and texture when eaten whole.

Quail eggs are not commonly found off the shelves of supermarkets in Singapore, and another alternative is to purchase them directly from the farm in Singapore. In super markets, they usually  come in at $2.10 to $2.40 for a pack of 12 eggs.
In terms of application in Asian cuisine, the eggs are often eaten in salads, on their own, and can even be served in Japanese Sushi!

Duck eggs are less commonly found in the Singaporean market.They have similar culinary uses to chicken eggs but due to their rarity, they are not often used in cooking. Duck eggs as compared to chicken eggs contain more protein,calories, fats and dietary cholesterol, so if you are on a low cholesterol diet, it is best to avoid consuming duck eggs.

To find out more about the history of duck eggs in Singapore, and Salted eggs, please take a look at our post "Duck eggs and Salted eggs!"

Duck eggs have also been used in the making of the chinese delicacy - Century eggs.

Century eggs are normally used in chinese cooking. The eggs are traditionally covered with clay, ash, salt and quicklime and then enclosed with rice husks for several weeks to months before they are ready to be eaten.Century eggs that are of a better quality tend to have pine branch like patterns on their surface. This is due to the crystallization of the salts on its surface during the fermentation period.

This is the market form of century eggs, they can be found almost anywhere on the market, and are usually sold for $2 to $2.50 for 4 eggs. They are commonly used in congee.