How Are the World’s 7 Great Egg Dishes Made? 세계 7대 계란 요리, 돈슐랭 / 14F [EN]

TL;DR

Seven famous global egg dishes differ through steaming, preserving, frying, slow cooking, poaching, and baking. Examples include Japan’s pudding-like chawanmushi, China’s century eggs, North African shakshouka, British Scotch eggs, American Eggs Benedict, and Portuguese pastel de nata. Their ingredients and techniques reflect local tastes, preservation needs, religious customs, and cultural exchange, so read on for each dish’s preparation and history.

Transcript

When I'm feeling lazy I often make "Ganjang Gyeran Bap" which was, at one point introduced on the New York Times SNS. There were many interesting comments "Korean kids make this when parents are not home" It seemed like these comments got many likes. Before eating, it doesn't look that appealing but once you mix it up and take a bite, it's irresist... Read More

Key Insights

• Eggs are an inexpensive protein with exceptional culinary versatility. They can be steamed, fermented, pickled, fried, scrambled, poached, or baked, allowing cultures worldwide to transform the same basic ingredient into foods with radically different textures, flavors, purposes, and historical associations.
• Korean soy sauce egg rice is a simple meal made by mixing white rice with a fried egg, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Its appearance may initially seem plain, but mixing the ingredients produces a strongly savory combination that is especially associated with quick, convenient home cooking.
• Chawanmushi is a Japanese steamed egg dish named for a teacup and the act of steaming. Unlike firmer Korean steamed egg, it develops a soft, pudding-like texture and gains substantial umami by using broth made from kombu and bonito flakes instead of water.
• Century eggs and pickled eggs are preservation foods that reflect periods when fresh eggs were not consistently available. Century eggs are coated with lime and mud, then buried in rice hulls, while pickled eggs are boiled and stored in vinegar or brine for two to three months.
• Shakshouka and eggs in purgatory are related dishes built around eggs cooked in tomato sauce. North African shakshouka uses onions, garlic, bell peppers, cumin, paprika, and chili, while the Southern Italian version incorporates ingredients such as basil and Parmigiano Reggiano.
• Scotch eggs are made by wrapping a soft-boiled egg in seasoned minced meat, coating it with breadcrumbs, and frying it. Similar egg-centered fried dishes include nargisi kofta, cassava egg balls, and Filipino kwek-kwek, despite their different regions, ingredients, sauces, and histories.
• Scrambled eggs differ across British, American, and French styles. British versions are relatively chunky, American versions are cooked more thoroughly for fluffiness, and French versions are cooked slowly over low heat for a creamy texture resembling soufflé or risotto.
• Pastel de nata originated in Portuguese monasteries where egg whites were used to iron clerical collars, leaving unused yolks for pastries. After a monastery closed, its recipe was sold, and the resulting tart later spread through Macau, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia.

Questions & Answers

Q: How is chawanmushi different from Korean steamed egg?

Korean steamed egg is thoroughly cooked, creating bubbles and a firm, solid texture. Chawanmushi is gently steamed over low heat until soft and pudding-like. It also uses broth made from kombu and bonito flakes instead of water, giving it pronounced umami.

Q: How are century eggs and pickled eggs preserved?

Century eggs are coated with lime and mud, then buried in rice hulls for long preservation. Pickled eggs are boiled and stored in vinegar or brine. The pickled version can be preserved for about two to three months.

Q: Why did pickled eggs become associated with Easter?

During the forty days of Lent before Easter, Christians refrained from eating eggs even though household eggs could spoil. They preserved the eggs and ate boiled eggs at Easter, when eggs symbolized new life and resurrection. Pickled eggs later remained a traditional food as Western countries became more secular.

Q: What is the difference between shakshouka and eggs in purgatory?

Both dishes cook eggs in tomato-based sauce. North African shakshouka uses onions, garlic, tomatoes, bell peppers, cumin, paprika, and chili powder, while Southern Italian eggs in purgatory adds ingredients such as basil and Parmigiano Reggiano. The regions’ proximity and history of interaction may explain their similarity.

Q: How is a Scotch egg made?

A Scotch egg starts with a soft-boiled egg wrapped in spiced minced meat. It is then coated with breadcrumbs and fried. The finished dish is commonly found in British markets and pubs.

Q: How do British, American, and French scrambled eggs differ?

British scrambled eggs have a relatively chunky consistency, while American scrambled eggs are cooked more thoroughly for a fluffy texture. French scrambled eggs are cooked slowly over low heat, producing a creamy result resembling soufflé or risotto. Temperature and cooking time create the contrasting textures.

Q: How is Eggs Benedict made, and why is hollandaise important?

Eggs Benedict places Canadian bacon and a poached egg on a halved English muffin, then tops them with hollandaise sauce. Hollandaise combines egg yolk, butter, and lemon juice. Careful temperature control is essential because the sauce can separate or clump.

Q: Why was pastel de nata created, and how did it spread?

Pastel de nata began in eighteenth-century Portuguese monasteries, where egg whites were used to iron clerical collars and leftover yolks became pastries. After the monastery closed, its recipe was sold to a sugar refinery owner who opened a shop in Belém, Lisbon. Portuguese colonial connections carried the tart to Macau, and it later spread across Hong Kong and Southeast Asia.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Definition: Ganjang gyeran bap combines white rice, fried egg, soy sauce, and sesame oil into a quick, intensely savory meal.

• Definition: Chawanmushi means steamed egg in a teacup and uses kombu and bonito broth for umami and a pudding-like texture.

• Compare: Korean steamed egg is firm and bubbly, while chawanmushi is gently steamed over low heat until soft.

• Definition: Century eggs are preserved by coating eggs with lime and mud, then burying them in rice hulls.

• Number: Pickled eggs stored in vinegar or brine can be preserved for about two to three months.

• Number: Lent lasts forty days before Easter, during which Christians traditionally refrained from eating eggs.

• Compare: Shakshouka uses North African spices, while eggs in purgatory adds Italian ingredients such as basil and Parmigiano Reggiano.

• Step 1: Soft-boil an egg, wrap it in spiced minced meat, coat it with breadcrumbs, and fry it to make a Scotch egg.

• Compare: British scrambled eggs are chunky, American versions are fluffy, and French versions are slowly cooked for a creamy texture.

• Tool: Careful temperature control keeps hollandaise made from egg yolk, butter, and lemon juice from separating or clumping.

• When: Pastel de nata began in eighteenth-century Portuguese monasteries as a use for yolks left after egg whites ironed clerical collars.

• Who: A sugar refinery owner acquired the monastery recipe and opened a shop in Belém, Lisbon.