Eggs anyway- Your GTG ‘all Ova the world’

Howdy globetrotters and welcome back to our weekly travel contemplation. We all know it’s oodles of fun to look at what is new and exciting from place to place, especially when it comes to munchables. This week, following a brainstorming session with some fellow travellers, we thought it might be fun to investigate a favourite global source of protein and the many tantalising ways it can be served about the globe. There seem to be two main traditional approaches to the delights within the shell so let’s have a look at them.

Euro eggs

Many of the meals in the category have combined Euro-American origins embracing European tradition but originating in ‘new world’ cultures such as that of the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. For the European, or Western twist, we’re talking;

• Eggs Benedict,- Poached eggs served over ham/smoked salmon on toast (commonly English muffins) topped with a decadent and tangy hollandaise sauce
• Eggs Florentine- follows the pattern of eggs benedict but substitutes the ham or smoked salmon with Spinach
• Quiche- A  French savoury baked egg custard dish in a pastry crust
• Frittata- An Italian- style omlette-like dish that is baked in the way of a quiche without pastry
• Tortilla- A Spanish dish, similar to the Frittata that is generally served in a round shape where most Frittatas will be rectangular in shape
• Crepes- A thin, delicate, French style of pancake that can be served sweet or savoury relative to the filling
• Omlettes, a quick, beaten-egg dish, pan-fried in butter, often enveloping a commonly savoury filling
• Pavlova- A dish that divides the nations of Australia and New Zealand when claiming creation, the humble pav is a crispy meringue crown filled with soft meringue, cream, and fruits of many descriptions (mainly passion fruit and kiwi fruit) on a cake-like base

and of course… the fabled lemon meringue pie. All of which are perfect examples of the Western approach to the noble egg ranging from the sweet to the savoury.

 

Asiatic or Eastern style eggs

Perhaps, one may argue, the most adventurous of the continents in their yolky endeavours, in fact the only continent I am aware of that includes an 18-day fertilised raw egg called Balut on the menu (Filipinos with no fear). Variations here can include;

• A delicious Thai omlette- perfect with a dash or two of sweet chilli sauce
• Sweetened egg yolk deserts- possibly the sweetest thing you’ll ever eat, seriously
• Sweetened egg nigiri sushi- your essential finger food on a small bite-sized bed of rice
• Egg strewn in delicious savoury broths (AKA ‘egg drop soup’)
• Egg pieced through fried rice or Pad Thai
• Raw egg as a dipping sauce- don’t knock it till you’ve tried it
• Okonomiyaki- Japanese savoury/seafood and vegetable pancakes
• Chawanmushi-  Japanese style egg custard with ginko seeds
• Anda Bhurji- Indian scrambled eggs

Some grey area exists, here you’ll find the likes of bacon and eggs any number of ways, eggs that have been fried, steamed, boiled, scrambled, poached, devilled, or coddled, pankcakes and egg-based flat breads of many kinds. This grey area hosts the likes of Huevos rancheros (fried eggs served on corn tortillas topped with tomato salsa) which being a Latino creation fits neither side of our East/West divide. Asians do seem to have the longest tradition in egg culinary cultivation but eggs rock menus from Africa to Iran, from Poland to Perth, and from Dublin to Delhi, or any other cross-section of the axes. By now may seem obvious the versatility of eggs, their vegetarian-friendly nature (sorry vegans, much love but you’re on your own with this one), and the fun that can be had, trying different recipes from region to region. Personally being a meat eater I’m glad the noble egg and it’s millions of fans found a way to bring the two together but a true egg dish needs no enhancement. Your GTG would love to hear your favourite eggy experiences, you can send them using the contact form below. Until next week!