Eggs: A Global History

Edible

by Diane Toops

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? In Hindu scripture, the world began as an egg. Laid by a swan floating on the waters of chaos, after a year the egg split into silver and gold halves, with the silver becoming the earth and the gold transforming into the sky. Throughout history, the egg has taken on numerous meanings outside of the famous philosophical dilemma: it was used for curing the evil eye by the Mayans, as protection against lightning in Greece, and to signify rebirth in the Christian tradition. In Eggs, Diane Toops offers a fascinating tour of egg history and lore, looking at how the egg’s significance has represented the preoccupations of the cultures that consume it.

Many varieties of eggs, whether laid by chickens, geese, ducks, fish, ostriches or even alligators, have been eaten throughout history, and today hens’ eggs are an integral part of modern cuisine around the world. Eggs are now marketed as a health food, but there have been debates over their nutritional status. Filled with appetizing recipes and beguiling images, this book will enthral anyone with an interest in cuisine or cultural history.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food, History, Cooking, Food and Drink

165 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does a pretty good job of covering a very broad subject in 120 pages. There's a decent balance of historical usage, current usage, cultural impact, and pop culture.

[TheManSG · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many eggs, but in the end, I know nothing much about eggs. Even the historical recipes were a let down.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of interesting facts and legends packed into this little (about 140pp) yellow book. Even contains some eggy quotations. I won't let this one go- will keep it on a shelf with my food-lit books. I even tagged 4 pages for their recipes, potential treats to whip up at a later date.

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

A few pages to cover a subject as wide as eggs. Which start with the Cromagnon human - although the author feels the need to talk only about the men. And somehow for this author eggs are only those made by some birds. Anyway, there are some recipes you can easily find online to fill up this book.