White Eggs And Brown Eggs

Why Eggs In Malaysia Are Brown?

27.08.2011 34 °C

I remember when I was in Cairo, I hardly found brown eggs selling in the day market. Most of the eggs in the grocery shops in Cairo are white. Even in India, white eggs are a common grocery item but not brown eggs. However, over here in Malaysia, we do not find any white eggs at all in our market. Only brown eggs are available.

Why are there no white eggs in Malaysia? Why are some eggs white others brown? What is the cause to the colour of the eggs? Is there any difference between the nutritional value of white eggs and brown eggs?

I checked the reasons out and found some facts of white eggs and brown eggs. Here they are:

Egg colour is determined by the breed of hen. Sometimes different breeds of hen lay eggs of different colour. They are either brown or white. The earlobes of a hen determine the colour of the egg shell. A hen with white earlobes lays white eggs, while a hen with red earlobes lays brown eggs.

Many people believe that brown eggs are healthier than white eggs, in reality the colour of the eggs has nothing to do with the quality or its nutritional value. It is merely the colour appearance of the egg shell only.

The weather of a country determines the breeds of hen suitable to keep breed in its farms. For example, the red earlobe breed is the preferred choice for breeding in the tropical country like Malaysia and throughout the South East Asia countries. Whilst, the white earlobe breed is the suitable choice to countries like Egypt, India and even the USA.

The consumer preference drives the demand for egg colour too.

What is more important than egg colour is freshness. Eggs will keep fresh for up to five weeks, but their quality declines with time. To savour the best eggs at home, eggs that are less than a week old are best suitable for frying, poaching or baking. Eggs that are more than a week old are best for hard-boil as the shell of older eggs are easier to off peel.

A white earlobe hen