As a remedy to prepare quick dishes when you don't feel like cooking or for more complicated recipes such as tortilla. Eggs are another of the great products of our gastronomy. Although, as in everything, there are different types. Oddly enough, the main point of difference between all varieties of this food is in how your producing birds live, chickens. Are you interested in knowing which eggs are better? Here you will be able to find out the details and characteristics of this healthy food and so common in our pantries. Which ones do you usually buy?
How do you know which eggs are better?
If you are a regular consumer of this product, surely you already know that the markets put at your disposal Four types of different eggs. This frame is determined by a number from 0 to 3, which heads the codes that you can find printed on them. These numbers indicate all information about the hen rearing and feeding. Furthermore, the letters that go just after this order refer to the country from which they come. And, finally, the surplus values detail the province, municipality and farm where those eggs come from.
In order for you to recognize the best types of eggs, you should know that those you find with the number 0 sound ecological production. On the other hand, 1 come from free-range hens, although raised in freedom. While the 2 come from birds named ground, always cared for in chicken coops or sheds. And finally, the 3 they are from hens raised in cages.
Organic eggs
Chickens that lay organic eggs are those that they live in open-air pens. Their diet is based on feed that often comes from organic farming. But, the key point of this type of product is that the bird can eat other foods, such as herbs or insects. Also, in the field where these animals are raised they can not use chemical fertilizers.
Everything that animals peck in the field where they live can provide nuances of egg color and flavor. But, this point will always depend on where the hen has been raised. Since an animal raised in the Galician fields that in those of Andalusia, for example. The price of organic eggs can reach € 5 per dozen, since its production is much more expensive. And it is that, it is necessary to have the capacity to maintain a great land without chemical substances. In addition, the law imposes a specific space for each hen.
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Camperos
This type comes from those animals that have been raised outdoors. Their diet is based on corn. However, they may include some critters that they may find in their environment or certain herbs of the enclosures where they live. This diet influences the organoleptic properties of the egg, which has a more intense flavor.
As for the price, its value is lower than that of organic ones, but it is higher than that of the other two types. They can cost up to 3 euros for every dozen that you want to take with you. This is not only due to the great infrastructure they need to live, but, being animals in continuous movement, eat more.
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Of ground chickens
As the name suggests, the hens that lay these eggs they are raised on the ground, But inside a closed room, like, for example, a ship. They don't see the outside light. In addition, their diet is based on feed, like the two mentioned above. Another key factor is that they have artificial light, otherwise they could not generate the product. And it is that, so that this bird can lay eggs it needs some 16 hours of light and 8 hours of darkness.
In terms of value, this type of egg is cheaper than the previous one. € 2 for every dozen acquired make them an affordable option for most pockets and an exceptional possibility to bring a top quality product to your pantry.
Of caged chickens
And finally, the most widespread and traditional option. These eggs come from chickens that develop in cages on a farm. In this case, the enclosure is completely closed and only has artificial light. The European Union established a minimum space for these animals of up to 750 centimeters per hen. Some experts claim that this rearing method began to prevent them from eating their own excrement, which could lead to the spread of Many sicknesses.
Worth € 1,50 per dozen, are the eggs cheaper that you can find in the market because this productive mode is the most profitable. Although, some supermarket chains like Lidl, Mercadona or Aldi have decided to stop marketing them.
So which eggs are better? According to taste
Obviously between each type of egg there are organoleptic differences. We can even glimpse differences in the yolk color, but this has nothing to do with the higher or lower quality of the product. In fact, this only shows the amount of wheat and corn that the hen has eaten during its life.
After all, preferences between one product or another have more to do with your tastes than with its quality. And it is that, nutritionally, each of them presents similar characteristics if not the same. Although, many consumers are already opting for set aside type 3 for the punishment that this type of breeding entails for the animals. Therefore, the reason for choosing is often based on that commitment to how the bird lives.
Now you know all the types of eggs that you can find in each store. What is the one that you usually use in your most common recipes? You have already seen that they are very similar in terms of nutritional benefits and taste. It's up to you which eggs are better for you!
