Eggs seem to be moving out of the “commodity” category, and entering a new phase of popularity.
The Times has featured them amongst 9 items that must be sought out in 2022. Amongst others were watermelon, sea vegetables, selenium, hibiscus, robusta coffee and citrus fruits.
Technomics, in their Global Restaurant Trends Forecast, have placed eggs high on the list of items which will appear more prominently on restaurant and takeaway menus in 2022.
They claim eggs will be seen in all-day sandwiches and other handheld offerings. The egg sandwich will soon replace the chicken sandwich in popularity.
Eggs will be complimented by homemade sauces.
They see a return to eating breakfast more often in restaurants and even a 24/7 breakfast scenario, again featuring eggs in new and elevated production methods.
Obesity and Diabetes are two of the scourges of the consumer in the UK, and it is no less a problem in America.
That prompted Penny Johns, of Rose Acre Farm in Indiana, to look at ways of reducing calorie intake through carbohydrates, in 2016.
She decided that tortillas represented one way to substitute carbohydrate-rich flour. After much experimenting, she finally succeeded in making a plausible item made from egg white, of eggs laid by cage-free hens.
This was combined with Xanthan gum – a natural ingredient produced by the bacterium ‘Xanthomonas campestris’ to make it pliable. It is 95% egg white.
It is dairy-free, gluten free, contains only 1g carbohydrate and contributes only 35 calories, together with 5-6g protein.
They can be used in both savoury and sweet recipes, being neutral in taste.
The one drawback seems to be their delicate handling nature, easily torn.
They are usually obtainable from Amazon and other sources in the UK, but, with continued demand exceeding supply, they are very intermittent in availability. But, it is another good example of the value, and versatility, of the egg.
It is marketed under the name ‘Egglife’.
Finally, Hannah Evans, in The Times, reveals the egg sandwich being sold at the Secret Sandwich Shop in Notting Hill, for £10. It consists of egg, Kewpie mayonnaise, crème fraiche, Dijon mustard, Japanese rice vinegar, spring onions, black pepper and watercress, between two slices of toasted shokupan bread.
The humble egg raised to new exalted levels.
