The internet is full of fabulous facts about everything from current events to the history basket weaving and egg fun facts. As we research for our daily content on food trucks, food carts and street food, we stumble upon some items of knowledge that we just did not know.

We have decided when these fun facts pop up, that we would share them with our readers in our section titled “Did You Know?”

For today’s Did You Know we will look at Egg fun facts.

Egg Fun Facts: Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have been eaten by mankind for thousands of years. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen (egg white), and vitellus (egg yolk), contained within various thin membranes. Popular choices for egg consumption are chicken, duck, quail, roe, and caviar, but the egg most often consumed by humans is the chicken egg, by a wide margin.

• Egg yolks and whole eggs store significant amounts of protein and choline, and are widely used in cookery. Due to their protein content, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) categorizes eggs as Meats within the Food Guide Pyramid. Despite the nutritional value of eggs, there are some potential health issues arising from egg quality, storage, and individual allergies.
• About 240 million laying hens produce some 50 billion eggs each year in the United States. That’s roughly one hen for every man, women and child in the country.
• White shelled eggs are produced by hens with white feathers and ear lobes. Brown shelled eggs are produced by hens with red feathers and red ear lobes. There is no difference in nutrition between white and brown eggs.
• Eggs contain the highest quality food protein known. It is second only to mother’s milk for human nutrition.
• An average hen lays 300 to 325 eggs a year. A hen starts laying eggs at 19 weeks of age.
• The hen must eat 4 pounds of feed to make a dozen eggs.
• June 3 is National Egg Day.
• October 11th is World Egg Day.
• While it is customary to throw rice at weddings in many countries, French brides break an egg on the threshold of their new home before stepping in for luck and healthy babies.
• The egg shell may have as many as 17,000 tiny pores over its surface. Through them, the egg can absorb flavors and odors. Storing them in their cartons helps keep them fresh.
• Eggs are placed in their cartons large end up to keep the air cell in place and the yolk centered.
• Eggs age more in one day at room temperature than in one week in the refrigerator. They can be kept refrigerated in their carton for at least 4 to 5 weeks beyond the pack date.
• The largest single chicken egg ever laid weighed a pound with a double yolk and double shell
• The most expensive egg ever sold was the Faberge “Winter Egg” sold in 1994 for $5.6 million.

Modern Egg Sizes

Grading by quality and size

The US Department of Agriculture grades eggs by the interior quality of the egg and the appearance and condition of the egg shell. Eggs of any quality grade may differ in weight (size).

• U.S. Grade AA
  • Eggs have whites that are thick and firm; yolks that are high, round, and practically free from defects; and clean, unbroken shells.
  • Grade AA and Grade A eggs are best for frying and poaching, where appearance is important.
• U.S. Grade A
  • Eggs have characteristics of Grade AA eggs except the whites are “reasonably” firm.
  • This is the quality most often sold in stores.
• U.S. Grade B
  • Eggs have whites that may be thinner and yolks that may be wider and flatter than eggs of higher grades. The shells must be unbroken, but may show slight stains.
  • This quality is seldom found in retail stores because they are usually used to make liquid, frozen, and dried egg products, as well as other egg-containing products.

Egg Fun Facts We May Have Missed?

Let us know if we missed any egg fun facts in the comment section or our food truck forum. If we can verify that the facts is just that, a fact, we will give the reader credit in the article.

Reference: Fun Facts about Eggs