Did you know there’s a special day dedicated to eggs? That special day is known as World Egg Day, which was initiated in 1996 and has since been celebrated every year on the second Friday in October. This year falls on October 13, and in conjunction with World Egg Day, here are 10 egg dishes from around the world you can make at home.
1) Bauernomelett (Germany)
Otherwise known as a farmer’s omelette, this popular German egg dish is typically served for breakfast. It’s simple to make with only a few common ingredients needed: eggs, potatoes, bacon and onions. You can customise your Bauernomelett, such as swapping out bacon for ham or sausage.
2) Chilaquiles (Mexico)
Pronounced “chee-lah-kee-lehs”, this traditional Mexican breakfast dish consists of fried corn tortilla pieces cooked with beaten eggs and red or green salsa. You can finish it off by topping chilaquiles with shredded cheese, sour cream, baked beans or even a fried egg. The choice is endless, so get creative!
3) Denver Omelette (Denver, U.S.)
Smoked ham, green bell peppers, onions, eggs and grated cheddar cheese. That’s Denver omelette and as the name suggests, this classic diner (restaurant) staple originated in Denver, U.S. It’s easy to make and you can enjoy it during breakfast, lunch or even dinner.
4) Egg Roast (Kerala, India)
You can also call it Kerala Egg Roast or Nadan Mutta Roast. This traditional Indian egg-based dish is usually served for breakfast. And a hearty one, indeed, given its combination of hard-boiled eggs cooked in spicy masala gravy with curry leaves, ginger, garlic and sliced tomatoes. The good thing about this Egg Roast? You can eat it on its own or served with appam, naan or any Indian flatbread for a fulfilling meal.
5) Frtalja (Slovenia)
Fancy making a simple Slovenian egg dish? You only need a few ingredients and you can whip up this dish in no time. This includes eggs, flour and lots of fresh herbs. Herbs like coriander, chives, fennels and dills are some of the good options you can incorporate into your egg mixture. No herbs? You can substitute them with green/leafy vegetables or even dried proteins like sliced sausages or hams.
6) Kerak Telor (Indonesia)
If you love your egg dish spicy and filling, you might want to try making this old-school Indonesian recipe called Kerak Telor (egg crust). It was a popular street food mainly in Jakarta, which consisted of eggs, glutinous rice, serunding (fried shredded coconut), fried shrimp and fried shallots. Traditionally, kerak telor is cooked on a charcoal stove.
7) Kwek Kwek (Philippines)
The first thing that instantly caught the attention of this popular Filipino street food has to be its fiery orange colour on the outer layers of the deep-fried quail eggs on a skewer. Well, that orange colour in question comes from the anatto powder (you can purchase it online here or here). You can eat it on its own, even though it’s best to serve Kwek Kwek with spicy vinegar dip. The latter can be easily done using a combination of 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of chopped chilli peppers.
8) Mayak Eggs (Korea)
Interestingly, the Korean name of this simple egg-based dish is called “Mayak Gyeran”. And guess what, it simply translated as “drug eggs”. But before you start freaking out, rest assured the word “drugs” doesn’t literally mean what you think it is. Instead, the “drugs” in question refer to how addictive the taste of this Korean egg dish is. Mayak Eggs are marinated eggs typically soaked in soy sauce, white vinegar, sesame seeds and chopped chilli marinade. Not to mention the combination of other ingredients like onions, garlic and honey gives this egg dish a complex flavour.
9) Shakshuka (North Africa)
When we think of poached eggs, (most) of us would associate them with eggs Benedict. Well, there’s another poached egg recipe you can try to make at home and it’s called shakshuka. This North African-based egg dish is not only perfect for breakfast but also lunch or dinner. Among the typical ingredients include eggs, tomatoes, onions and smoked paprika.
10) Smaženice (Czech Republic)
Scrambled eggs and mushrooms. These are the two main combos that define this popular Czech dish. Smaženice is usually mixed in with onions, cumin, salt and pepper cooked in butter, lard or oil. Best served with a slice of toasted bread on the side. When it comes to mushrooms, pick the fresh varieties instead of the canned ones.
