They are fried, boiled, poached, steamed, scrambled or eaten raw. Pretty much everyone loves them. Eggs are one of the most widely available sources of protein.
When the subject of eggs comes up, most people think of chicken eggs first, but hungry humans wolf down eggs produced by other birds as well, duck and quail come to mind.
No matter what their background or social standing, most people eat eggs. They are cheap and they are on sale pretty much everywhere.
Eggs are not only eaten on their own, they are an important ingredient in many recipes such as burgers, pastry and noodles.
What would Malaysian cuisine be without eggs? Nasi lemak without the signature hard-boiled egg would be incomplete.
A kopitiam would not be a kopitiam without soft-boiled eggs served with warm toast. And everyone would certainly miss their roti telur if all the eggs in the world vanished.
How do people in the rest of Asia enjoy their eggs? Let’s take a look around the neighbourhood and check it out.
Japan
The Japanese really take their love of eggs to the next level. Studies have shown that, on average, the Japanese eat 320 eggs per person per year.
After World War II, the popularity of poultry products shot up and eggs became an important element in Japanese cooking.
Tamago kake-gohan is a simple but tasty dish that is made by placing a raw egg on rice flavoured with soy sauce.
Sukiyaki, a popular hot pot dish, uses eggs as a dipping sauce, with the thick texture adding to the combination of flavours.
China
Truly, one man’s meat is another man’s poison. Century eggs are a popular Chinese delicacy that most Westerners find revolting. They find the strange colour and smell of these blackened eggs repulsive.
Unlike what the name suggests, century eggs are not that old, though they do go through an ageing process preserved in a saline solution. The process can take from weeks to months.
The yolk develops a creamy texture and the white turns into a black jelly. The flavour of the yolk is described as something like cheese with a pungent smell and a creamy texture.
Korea
Like K-pop, Korean restaurants are hugely popular in Malaysia, and bibimbap is one of the bestsellers. Bibimbap, or “mixed rice”, is a whole meal in a bowl, making it easy for busy people to eat on the go.
Often, a raw egg tops the mix of rice, meat, vegetables and sauces, which are mixed together with the egg holding everything together.
India
In the land of spices, egg masala reigns supreme at many meals, often served with biryani.
As to be expected in India, it is a spicy delight with a rich flavour. Whole boiled eggs are added to the masala sauce and diners generally pour the entire masala onto the rice, which soaks up the thick and spicy sauce.
The Philippines
Those who do not have an egg for breakfast while holidaying in the Philippines are not holidaying correctly.
A popular egg dish is silog, a combination of two Tagalog words that respectively mean “fried rice” and “egg”. Silog is a tasty and full breakfast consisting of fried rice, meat and, of course, an egg.
While there are many variations of silog with different types of meat, a fried egg is a constant in this dish.
Turkey
Menemen is sometimes described as the Middle Eastern answer to the omelette, but instead of being fried, the eggs are scrambled and mixed with various tasty vegetables and flavourful spices.
The dish is often served for brunch with a slice of warm bread. It is a versatile dish, easy to customise to the diner’s taste.
Those who want more fibre can load up on the vegetables or they can throw in plenty of spices to set the tongue alight, or both.