Salmonella In Eggs

Let's face it, over the years eggs have gotten a very bad rap but are one food that always seems to bounce back (albeit not literally) onto the tables of nations all over the world.

In the mid-eighties an outbreak of salmonella broke in the UK causing nationwide panic, governments leap onto the bandwagon closely followed by cries of outrage from the press. It seemed like nothing could massage the publics fear of the egg.

Well, nothing but the taste and versatility of the egg (and it's resilience).

For thousands of years eggs have been included in the staple diet of almost every country in the world and we can safely assume that one of the first dishes on a caveman's plate would have been an egg - fried, scrambled or poached we can't say.

Studies show that eggs are preferred differently from nation to nation and a recent study by Egg Monthly magazine show the following preferences:

UK - Boiled egg
USA - Poached egg
Asia - Scrambled egg
Eastern Europe - Fried egg

Amazing that just like language our particular taste for egg recipes varies from continent to continent and country to country.

So what is in an egg that we so desire? Firstly although it is fragile it has other aspects which provide it hardy qualities such as it is totally waterproof and provides it's own handy packaging. By it's very nature it is rich in protein and contains a good source of 'good' cholesterol. Add to this it is easy to prepare - a meal with an egg can be made in under a minute but is versatile enough to be oven cooked, grilled and fried.

So when you next sit down to your breakfast, dinner or evening meal (what other ingredient sits happily at any time of day or night?) just remember that everyone from Cleopatra to Jessie Jayne has one thing in common - we all love eggs!