[Sca-cooks] A question about eggs

[Volker Bach]

Sarah Fiedler schrieb:
>
> A friend and I were discussing a possible arts exhibition entry in a food
> category and the topic turned to the color of natural eggs.  Does anyone
> know what makes a hen lay a brown egg vs. a white egg (or vice versa)?

The color of eggs is determined by the breed of
the chicken. AFAIK the 'original' wild chicken
breed laid brown-speckled eggs, but that's an
assertion I could not back up with quotations,
just some factiod I recall from my archeology
classes. White eggs used to be more popular for a
long time, but it seems these days the belief has
taken ground that brown eggs are healthier.

> Are white eggs "less period" than brown eggs?

Illustrations in various sources depict eggs as
'white' (often enough as in 'not colored', see the
Sachsenspiegel manuscripts among others). I also
recall at least one reference in Latin poetry
(don't recall where exactly) to eggs as 'white'.
So I guess white eggs would be period, though
perhaps (in fact, probably, given the massive
impact scientific breeding has had on all kinds of
animals in the 19th) not as brilliantly white as
much of what we see today. A local museum trying
to reconstruct 17th century farming (not period,
but closer than modern supermarkets) has
off-white, cream colored and slightly speckled
eggs, but that may well reflect the expectations
of visitors rather than a period selection of
breed.

Hoping to be of assistance

Giano