Pigeon eggs

Description

Pigeon eggs are quite small in size, 4 cm long. Almost all pigeons have white eggs without specks, with a pearlescent, shiny tint, but in some breeds, the eggs are light brown or cream in color. Eggs of pigeons have very fragile shells and are difficult to transport. You should handle them carefully.

The first mentions of pigeons we may find in the Bible. During the flood, the dove was the first to bring Noah an olive branch, which meant that dry land appeared. Pigeon eggs have appeared in the human diet since their domestication. During Sirius the Great’s reign, this happened in Persia; then, the Persian Empire ruled the world.

The habitat of pigeons spreads across all continents, except Antarctica. The greatest variety is in Australia and South America. Eggs of pigeons are highly prized in cooking; they have a delicate, exquisite taste. However, due to their great rarity, they have a rather high cost. People who want to taste these eggs have to order them in advance from the breeders because it is practically impossible to buy them in stores.

To store the eggs – they must be intact, fresh and clean. Eggs that are to be consumed within the next 3 days can be stored on the inner side of the refrigerator door. It is preferable to store the rest of the eggs on the upper shelf of the refrigerator. With this arrangement, their shelf life is extended to two weeks or more. Specialists advise to wrap the eggs in paper and turn them over once a week so that the yolk remained in the center of the protein all the time.

Composition and calorie content

Pigeon eggs are highly nutritious, high in content of fat and protein. 100 g of raw eggs have 160 kcal. So consume them in moderation.

• Protein, 14 g
• Fat, 13.5g
• Carbohydrates, 1.5 g
• Ash, 1.3 g
• Water, 74 gr
• Calorie content, 160 kcal

What do pigeon eggs look like

The appearance of pigeon eggs is oval in shape, with a pointed end. The air chamber is in the blunt part. . The air chamber is in the blunt part. The color of the shell, which is fragile, depends on the diet of the pigeon. More often the eggs are white, but there are light brown or beige, with a mother-of-pearl tint.

The weight of a pigeon egg depends on the breed. The larger the representative of the pigeon family, the greater the mass. Weight ranges from 15 to 30 grams.

The size of the pigeon egg is also not impressive. In small breeds, they do not exceed 3.5 cm, in large varieties – up to 5 cm. Some breeders breed meat varieties of pigeons. These birds do not differ in flight qualities, but the size of the eggs is impressive – they are slightly inferior in size to chicken ones.

Is it possible to eat pigeon eggs

Doctors say that pigeon eggs should be introduced into the diet of people with health problems. The beneficial properties of this product did not pass by the attention of traditional healers of the countries of the world. In China, pigeon eggs are considered a rare delicacy that prolongs life, preserves youth, and energizes the body.

Valued in cooking. They have a pleasant delicate taste. The only drawback of pigeon eggs is that they are considered a rare product that cannot be purchased in a store or on the market.

Pigeons are bred for the purpose of obtaining eggs on special farms. Even here, it is difficult to make a purchase, since female pigeons lay sparse clutches, so you need to make an order in advance.

The benefits of pigeon eggs

Pigeon eggs contain a wide variety of minerals. Most of all, they contain iron, which is why they are good for young children. Also, the yolk has a high sulfur content, and the longer the egg is stored, the greater its concentration. The pigeon egg also contains vitamins A, D, E, and B2, but vitamin C is completely absent.

The benefits of these eggs are beyond doubt. They are perfect for young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and women after childbirth during lactation, and people with weakened immunity.

Due to the high content of vitamins and micro-elements – the consumption of pigeon eggs allows you to increase skin cells’ activity, making the skin elastic. It improves blood circulation and affects the level of hemoglobin. These eggs are useful for people with anemia, women with menstrual irregularities. Eggs protect kidneys, remove toxins from the body, cardiovascular system, prevents blood clots. They have a positive effect on the health of the eyes and mucous membranes, and the skeletal system. They regulate metabolic processes in the body.

Pigeon eggs harm

This type of eggs is unharmful and is a product that is perfect even for young children, unlike other eggs. Of course, there are cases of individual intolerance, in which it is worth refusing to use these eggs. And of course, we must remember that you should not eat eggs in large quantities.

Pigeon eggs in cooking

Pigeon eggs are slightly larger than quail eggs but significantly less than chicken eggs. In recipes, one medium chicken usually corresponds to 2-3 pigeons eggs. They also taste almost identical. When boiled (and this is the method that is usually used for cooking), their protein does not become completely white but remains translucent: even though the cooked protein, the yolk of a pigeon egg, is visible.

This delicacy is popular among chefs in many countries. However, even in gourmet restaurants, dishes from these eggs are costly and appear very rarely (in many places only by pre-order). You can often find them in Chinese and French cuisines, where the eggs of pigeon are components of salads, soups, gourmet snacks.

And to make the baked goods more fluffy, some pastry chefs replace chicken eggs with pigeon eggs. In English cuisine, soufflé, jelly, and some cocktails chefs make based on this product. Since ancient times, the eggs of pigeons used the Transcaucasus peoples and in the Baltic Countries. It is customary to combine them with fish, vegetables, and various hot dishes.

Application of Pigeon Eggs

Culinary experts appreciate pigeon eggs for their delicate taste, but they are quite expensive. Those wishing to eat pigeon eggs most often have to order them in advance, since they appear infrequently in stores. The fact is that the dove lays eggs quite rarely, and if you take away all the eggs from her, she may stop laying altogether.

Pigeon eggs are usually hard boiled. Unlike chicken eggs, the protein of pigeon eggs does not become completely white when cooked, but remains slightly transparent, so that the yolk is visible through it.

Pigeon eggs are very popular in China, they are also highly valued by French gourmets and culinary specialists. They prepare a variety of dishes. They are often added to soups, salads are prepared with them. Especially good is baking based on pigeon eggs. Cakes are unusually light and airy.

In Russian folk cuisine, it was not customary to use eggs in soups (as in Transcaucasian cuisines), to make various main dishes from them, combining them with fish, vegetables (as in Baltic cuisines), and it was completely unknown to use eggs in kissels, soufflés and drinks ( as in French and English cooking). Modern culinary specialists introduce pigeon eggs into all sorts of traditional recipes.

Video of frying the Pigeon Egg