What is the difference between a brown egg and white egg?

You never know what type of tips we'll post. From travelling with children to free magazine subscriptions, we now cover EGGS. We know you're burning with curiosity to find out the mystery behind this brown vs. white egg phenomenon. Well, Blog Sisters gave it a crack...

Recently I was grocery shopping, and despite the increase in grocery food and other items, I purposely made the decision to invest more in my health and do my part for global warming by purchasing some organic and fresh food. At the egg section, the organic brown eggs caught my attention. So this became my fascination.





Spending summer vacations with cousins and relatives in Quito, Ecuador (South America) I recall eating eggs that came from brown egg shells. The taste was distinct from the white eggs I ate in Titusville, Florida. The brown eggs tasted better. I can't describe it but it did. Why? Well I just learned the answer--how the chickens are raised and the food they eat. In general, however, there really is no difference between brown and white eggs.

Chicken eggs from various chicken breeds emerge in different shades because of pigments which are deposited as the eggs move through the hen's oviduct. The pigment depositions are determined by the chicken's genetics, with some breeds producing rich dark brown eggs, for example, while others lay snow white eggs. The eggs inside are essentially identical; there are no major flavor differences between chicken eggs from different birds, as the flavor is determined by the chicken's diet.

The color of chicken eggs should not influence your purchasing decisions at the market, as the contents of the egg are what counts. Chickens who eat free range, varied diets tend to produce healthier eggs, as their free range lifestyles allow them to consume the dietary minerals they need for their own health, and these minerals will be passed down in their eggs. You may also have noticed that farm-fresh eggs have very dark yolks, whereas chicken eggs from battery hens have much lighter yolks, indicating less nutritional value.

This explained why the eggs in Ecuador tasted better. It wasn't a matter of brown vs. white. The eggs from chickens in Quito ate a free-range diet. Strangely, the brown, "organic" eggs I purchased in Miami, did NOT have the same taste as the brown eggs in Quito. So now I have to learn more about "organic" processes here in the U.S. vs. free-range diets. If anyone knows the answer--please educate us by POSTING A COMMENT. Show us your "huevos" of knowledge! [Christine]