Difference between White Eggs and Brown Eggs. When purchasing eggs, many people often focus on their color. There’s a common belief that eggs with a darker color are more valuable than white ones, often costing more. Additionally, there’s a notion that specific types of dishes are better prepared using eggs of a particular variety. Is it truly important to pay serious attention to the color criterion, and is there any real difference between traditional white eggs and their brown counterparts? Let’s delve into this further.
Indeed, bought eggs can sometimes appear especially delicious. The yolk can be very vibrant, and the shell remarkably strong. However, the truth is that such attractive qualities can be found in both light-colored and dark-colored eggs. In other words, the difference in color doesn’t affect the other desirable attributes of the product, such as taste and nutritional value. The shell’s color is solely determined by which hen laid that specific egg. Usually, white eggs come from chickens with similar feather color, and brown eggs come from hens with darker plumage. But this correspondence isn’t always upheld.
Then, what does egg quality depend on? Mainly on what the birds are fed and the conditions in which they are raised. The yolk color is also influenced by the hens’ diet, and the egg’s external appearance isn’t relevant here. Regarding the shell, it’s been observed that eggs from younger hens tend to have stronger shells. However, from this perspective, it’s not just the age of the animal that matters. It’s also important whether the bird receives enough substances that contribute to the formation of a robust eggshell.
The question remains, why are brown eggs often priced higher if it’s not about their quality? One might think that someone is simply capitalizing on the more interesting color of the eggs. But in reality, it’s all explained by the size of the hens. It turns out that the hens that lay brown eggs might be slightly larger, which means that feeding such birds is more costly.
In any case, we’ve established that the color of eggs doesn’t really signify anything substantial. When buying eggs, it’s more sensible to pay attention to their freshness and origin. It’s known that eggs obtained from backyard poultry are generally preferable. There, chickens usually have a more comfortable environment compared to factory-farmed birds, which are oriented towards mass production of this indispensable and nutritious product.