#LazySundayRead: Eggs-actly what we want to eat

Eggs have a universal appeal.

They sit humbly on the kitchen counter, always there for baking banana bread and scones to keep us entertained during lockdown, nourish us with a quick, comforting breakfast or midnight snack, and assure us by their presence on the shopping list that there will always be something delicious, filling and healthy to eat.

South Africans have been eating more eggs than usual during lockdown. In fact, over 50 per cent more than the average 7.56kg we usually consume annually. This is not surprising as eggs are a source of vitamins, minerals, affordable protein, immune-boosting antioxidants and they have the most amazing ability to fit right in with every type of world cuisine.

As hunter-gatherers, South Africa’s first people, the San, enjoyed a good egg when they could find one, and from ancient Rome, Egypt and China there’s evidence that eggs were always on the menu.

It’s an integral ingredient with worldwide appeal. From Filipino egg fritters made with literally every vegetable under the sun, to French croissants filled with warm, silky-soft scrambled egg, there are a million ways a carton of eggs can help you travel with your taste buds.

In South Africa, we have embraced so many of these recipes and made them our go-to comfort foods. Who can resist the pillowy golden egg custard on a traditional Cape Malay Bobotie, a recipe adapted from Indonesia, or trendy North African shakshuka, which is an egg baked in a saucy mixture of tomatoes, peppers, onions and spices

Be daring and make your eggs – poached, boiled or fried – more South African by serving with soft pap and last night’s chakalaka. Another treasured treat is the famous Scotch egg, a boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat, covered in breadcrumbs and deep-fried until crispy. Yum!

But have you ever thought of making them with boerewors mince and dusting in maize meal for extra crispiness? Then of course there is curried eggs, a much-loved aromatic staple of India – and Durban.

But since you have time on your hands right now why not challenge your taste buds to experience a few egg dishes from further afield, like tortilla de patatas from Spain, which is simply sliced potato in an omelette, usually served at room temperature as a snack, or Mexican chilaquiles, salsa-sauced fried tortillas loaded with beans, eggs, chicken and more.

Or does the idea of a rice-filled, tomato-sauce topped omelette called an omurice in Japan make you salivate? Or perhaps a smile-inducing Hawaiian loco moco, a breakfast stack of rice, hamburger patty, fried egg and brown gravy?

The internet is bursting with egg-citing taste travel ideas. And who knows, you may yet discover a new favourite.

Follow EGGcellentFood on Facebook or visit www.sapoultry.co.za for further information.

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