Since the Crack of Egg...

Humans have been enjoying eggs since the crack of dawn. The history of the egg is a complex, mysterious and diverse tapestry that draws together cultures from the four corners of the large egg we inhabit.

Why has the egg enjoyed pride of place as the Ultimate Food?

There are numerous reasons for this.
Firstly, it is a widely accessible resource. Eggs are obtainable from a plethora of animals all inhabiting different parts of the world. Ostrich and chicken eggs are most commonly consumed.
Secondly, it is a nutritional smorgasbord, adaptable to many different cooking styles, instruments and recipes, and are a worthy subsititute for meat on fasting days required by certain religions.
Finally, due to its multi-faceted properties, eggs have been the centre of much socio-religious symbolism and tradition. This has elevated the perception of the egg from a mere food to an emblem of social and spiritual significance.


Smith and Daniel (1975, pp11-12) deduced that at some time in the early history of man, female game birds were perceived as a source of both meat and eggs. Men discovered that by removing from the nest eggs that they did not wish to have hatch (or that they simply wished to eat), they could induce the female jungle fowl to lay additional eggs and, indeed, to continue to lay eggs throughout an extended laying season.

Katz and Weaver (2003, p 558) consolidate historical records, highlighting that the jungle fowl (untamed hens) were domesticated in India by 3200 BC, with records from China and Egypt showing that the fowl laid eggs for human consumption around 1400 BC. Archeological evidence supports Neolithic age consumption of eggs. The first domesticated fowl reached North America with the second voyage of Columbus in 1493.


Where did the English word egg originate?

The Old English term was oeg, which survived in Middle English as ey (plural eyren). However, in the fourteenth century, the word egg was borrowed from Old Norse. For a time the two forms competed with each other. William Caxton, in the prologue to his Book of Eneydos (1490), asked 'What should a man in these day now write, eggs or eyren, certainly it is hard to please every man'.
Alas, in the late sixteenth century, the Norse form finally emerged as winner. Hence hatched forth the word egg.

An Ancient Roman mural depicting eggs at the centre of a prepared meal

Eggs in baking
Culinary evidence confirms that the Egyptian and Roman peoples used eggs in their breads and cakes, based on their thickening capacity.

The Ancient Egyptians, particularly nobles and priests were well served, furnished with at least forty different kinds of bread and pastries, varieties ranging from honey, milk and eggs.

In the Roman period, pastry cooks made much use of eggs for desserts as well as cakes such as the libum, which was offered as a sacrifice to household spirits. Eggs really made their way into the kitchen with Apicius (First Century BC) a Roman gourmet and lover of luxury , who mentioned them frequently in the Ars Magirica, a collection of Roman cookery recipes. Beaten eggs were used as a thickening and to bind sauces and ragouts; hard boiled eggs became an ingredient of various dishes, sometimes with cheese, but there is no evidence that eggs were eaten just as they were, as a dish in themselves.

The Avid Roman Egg-Lover himself

By Daniel "Egg-story" Kim