Egg Fun Facts

In China, red-dyed eggs are given to celebrate a baby's one-month birthday. The color red symbolizes happiness and good fortune.

Source: Encyclopedia of China (Berkshire Publishing)

In Japan, raw egg over hot rice (tamago kake gohan, or TKG) is one of the most popular breakfast dishes. Japan's egg food safety standards are strict enough to make raw consumption routine.

Source: Japan Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

The tradition of egg tapping (hitting hard-boiled eggs together to see whose cracks first) is a competitive sport in parts of Europe, the Middle East, and the American South.

Source: Atlas Obscura — 'Egg Tapping Traditions Around the World'

The White House Easter Egg Roll has been an annual tradition since 1878, when Rutherford B. Hayes opened the White House grounds to children after Congress banned egg rolling on Capitol grounds.

Source: The White House Historical Association

In many Latin American countries, eggs are stored at room temperature in grocery stores. Unwashed eggs retain a protective cuticle that keeps bacteria out — no refrigeration needed.

Source: FDA Food Safety Modernization Act; EU Egg Marketing Standards

Century eggs (pidan) are a Chinese delicacy made by preserving duck or quail eggs in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, and lime for weeks to months. The yolk turns dark green and creamy.

Source: Oxford Companion to Food

Balut — a fertilized duck egg with a partially developed embryo — is a popular street food in the Philippines and parts of Southeast Asia. It's typically eaten with salt and vinegar.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica — 'Balut'

The average American eats about 286 eggs per year. In 1945, the figure was 404. Mexico leads the world in per-capita consumption at about 380 eggs per year.

Source: USDA Economic Research Service; International Egg Commission

In Finland, it's traditional to bake an egg inside a loaf of bread at Easter. The bread, called pasha, is shaped to resemble a Russian Orthodox church dome.

Source: Encyclopedia of Food and Culture

World Egg Day is celebrated on the second Friday of October each year, established by the International Egg Commission in 1996.

Source: International Egg Commission

The average American egg travels about 300 miles from farm to store. An egg purchased at a farmers' market may be less than a day old.

Source: Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa State