In this article, I’m looking at one of the most commonly asked questions, “do brown eggs taste different than white eggs?”
The answer to this question is, no.
Scientifically, we know that brown eggs do not taste different from white eggs just because they have a different colored shell.
Any egg can taste different from another, but this is due to how the hen that laid the egg was fed and treated - it has nothing to do with the color.
Here is a closer look at brown vs white eggs and some of the other myths and misconceptions about egg color:
Table of Contents
Are Brown Eggs Different Than White Eggs?
Brown eggs are not different than white eggs.
There are breeds of chicken that lay white eggs, and breeds that lay brown eggs. It’s as simple as that.
There is no nutritional difference between white and brown eggs. Neither is there any difference in how the eggs are produced, or what they look like when cracked open.
It’s important to note, however, that eggs can vary a lot in taste and nutritional value based on how the hens laying the eggs are treated.
Whether an egg has a white eggshell or a brown eggshell, the better the hen was treated and the higher-quality nutrition they were fed, the better quality eggs they’ll lay.
The only way to truly experience this for yourself is to eat an egg from a caged hen, and then an egg from an organically raised hen.
Take it from me, the difference is night and day. If you go back to eating bland, dull eggs from a caged hen after doing so I’ll be dumbfounded!
Why Do Chefs Use Brown Eggs?
Generally speaking, chefs use more brown eggs than they do white or any other color.
I can’t speak on behalf of individual chefs, but generally speaking, it’s simply because brown eggs are more easily accessible and cost-effective.
Because there is no difference in the appearance or taste of eggs, whether they’re white or brown, a restaurant will put profits first.
The real difference comes from where a chef or the business is procuring their eggs.
Eggs from free-range or organic hens raised on a high-quality diet and living in excellent conditions taste much better than caged hen eggs.
Without sounding like an egg snob, there really is no comparison.
Free-range eggs are healthier and taste better than eggs from caged or battery hens, if you’ve never tried them side by side I can’t recommend you do so any stronger.
Should I Eat White or Brown Eggs?
Whether you eat white or brown eggs is totally up to you.
Following on from what I said above about white and brown eggs being no different based on color, nutritionally, it doesn’t matter which color egg you eat.
Some people do prefer a certain color of egg, but this is just a personal preference.
I’ve even heard some people say that one color tastes better than the other. But scientifically, we know that the color of an egg makes no difference.
It’s just the pigment that is applied to the egg during the process of creating an egg that determines the color.
It’s Not Just About White and Brown Eggs!
This may come as a surprise to some, but chickens lay a much wider range of colored eggs than just brown and white.
If you’re interested in researching this further, here are some of the breeds of chickens that lay different colored eggs:
Brown Egg Laying Breeds
Some of the breeds that lay the ‘regular’ brown colored egg we expect to see in supermarkets include:
Dark Brown “Chocolate Eggers” Egg Laying Breeds
- Marans
- Barnevelders
- Penedesencas
- Welsummers
White Egg Laying Breeds
- Polish
- Ancona
- California White
- White Leghorn
- Hamburg
Blue “Easter Eggers” Egg Laying Breeds
- Cream Legbar
- Araucana
- Ameraucana
- Easter Egger
- Arkansas Blue
Green “Olive Eggers” Egg Laying Breeds
- Isbar
- Olive Egger Hybrids
- Favaucana
Contrary to what you may have heard - or hoped - there are no breeds of chickens that lay either black or purple eggs.
It’s often said that Langshan chickens lay purple eggs. But, honestly, they’re not purple in the true sense of the word.
If you’re looking for colors that you don’t see above, you’ll have to wait until Easter and paint an egg the color you want it to be!
In Summary
Eggs come in many colors, not just white or brown, but it’s important to know that the color of the eggshell makes no difference to the taste.
If you’re looking for eggs that taste great, you need to buy eggs laid by free-range hens fed a natural diet rich in good nutrition.
That’s what affects the taste and quality of an egg, not the color of the shell.
Resources
Image credits - Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
