Eggs differ in shape, size, color, as well as other indicators that depend on the type of bird, the conditions of its keeping and the place of laying. Of course, an ostrich stands out from the general background, from which farmers get not only meat and feathers. The price of an ostrich egg can “bite”. This is due to the fact that most of them are sent to incubators for further breeding. For table purposes, unfertilized eggs laid by young females are used.
Description
Ostrich eggs come in only two colors. Dark emus are deep green, almost black; white-gray rhea - yellow-pink. Thus, the color of the shell directly depends on the color of the female.
The content of an ostrich egg is almost no different from the usual. Protein is transparent, yolk is orange (the color intensity depends on how much the female spent outdoors and received vitamin D from sunlight).
Ostrichs rush from March to October. In total, one female gives from 40 to 80 eggs. At the beginning of the season, the masonry is replenished every other day. Upon reaching somewhere around two dozen, the ostrich takes a break, after which it resumes wear. During breeding, most of the eggs are fertilized, and only 10% at the beginning or end of the season can be unfertilized.
In general, ostriches are healthy birds. One pair can breed for 30 years. Therefore, farmers began to value them dearly: a one-time expenditure on one male and one female can provide profit for several decades to come.
The weight of an ostrich egg ranges from 500 grams to 2 kilograms. Moreover, the bulk of the mass falls on the contents, since the shell is very light, but strong. This quality made her a favorite material for engraving and painting. Many artists even compare ostrich shells with porcelain.
Beneficial features
An ostrich egg weighing 1.5 kg can contain up to 1000 g of protein and 320 g of yolk. And that means a decent dose of nutrients. Compared to the eggs of our usual poultry, ostriches are more dietary and also are absolute champions in the content of selenium and sodium. They contain many amino acids, minerals, vitamins and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Those who are interested in how many chicken eggs there are in an ostrich egg will be interested to know that the ratio is approximately 40: 1.
Of course, one cannot but note the large size of ostrich eggs. From one such "testicle" you can cook an omelet for 10 people. Which, incidentally, has long been done in Polish restaurants. In size, this dish can be compared to a large pizza. If the invasion of the guests is delayed, the ostrich egg can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 6 months (if there is no damage on the shell) or just cook in batches, storing the leftovers in a tightly closed container (no more than 3 days). In addition, the ostrich egg has a strong taste, because its addition to baking can make a certain variety in our usual dishes.
disadvantages
An ostrich egg may not be absorbed if a person has intolerance to the substances contained in it. Children are especially prone to allergic reactions. Therefore, if you find yourself or your child with a rash on the skin, if signs of a digestive system failure appear, it is better to refuse this product.
It should be remembered that cholesterol has a relatively low proportion in ostrich eggs, but this does not mean that they can be abused. An excess of cholesterol is harmful to blood vessels. The measure is important in everything.
Another minus is the difficulty with opening. Break the shell just like a simple chicken, will not work.
The energy value
The figures below are relative and may vary depending on the weight of the ostrich egg.
| Calorie content | 120 kcal |
| Squirrels | 15 g |
| Fats | 31 g |
| Carbohydrates | 0.7 g |
| Water | 52 g |
| Ash | 0.9 g |
| Beta carotene | 37 mg |
| Vitamin E | 117 mg |
| Phosphorus | 1,080 mg |
| Sodium | 3.03 mg |
| Calcium | 0.30 mg |
Do ostrich eggs eat?
Perhaps a similar question can be asked by many residents of Russia. Ostriches have long been bred in Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East. Only about 50 countries of the world have such an industry as ostrich farming. Despite the fact that, in our understanding, an ostrich egg dish is exotic, relatively recently specialized farms began to appear in Russia. Therefore, if you want to purchase this product, you should contact it there. Searching in stores and markets for such a curiosity does not make sense.
What is prepared from ostrich eggs? In general, they can be eaten in the same way as the products of ordinary poultry: boil, fry, bake. The only difference is that with one ostrich egg you can feed a group of ten people. The restaurants love them for a decent size. When several waiters bring a giant scrambled egg into the hall, this is an amusing sight
The taste of ostrich eggs resembles chicken, but is more piquant. Because in South Africa they like to add it to baking.
How to buy?
To buy an ostrich egg, it makes sense to contact farms specializing in breeding this bird. The price of an ostrich egg (table) is about 1000 rubles. It can be more or less. It all depends on the mass of the product.
How to get to the content?
To open an ostrich egg, you need a trick. Since the shell is very strong, breaking it in the usual way will not work. As a rule, two holes are made in it (at the top and at the base) with a special tool, which is a curved twisted needle. Inside the egg, the yolk must be broken so that it mixes with the protein. After that, the resulting mixture is blown into a previously prepared container (just exhale into the upper hole so that the contents pour out through the lower one). Thus, it is impossible to cook ostriches from an ostrich egg. Usually, omelets are made from it.
However, there is another method invented by an unknown savvy Russian man: it is enough just to saw through the shell with a hacksaw.
Is it possible to eat an egg with blood?
If there is not a lot of blood impurities inside, then this will not harm health. However, such food is still not very good. The presence of a blood cell inside means that the egg has already been fertilized, and this is a violation of production technology. The same applies not only to ostrich eggs, but also products from another bird. This should not be on sale.
How to cook an ostrich egg
We offer several options on how to serve this delicacy.
To get the degree of hard boiling, it will take at least 70 minutes. If you are a connoisseur of other methods, you will need to carefully monitor the time. Let's start with how much the ostrich egg is soft-boiled? To do this, you need to detect about 45 minutes. If you keep it in boiling water a little less, somewhere around 35 minutes, you get the classic "in the bag." Poached will take no more than 20 minutes.
Ingredients: ostrich egg (1 piece), ham (150 grams), butter (2 tablespoons), green onions (1 bunch), paprika (1 teaspoon), pepper and salt (to taste).
Cooking:
- Rinse and chop onions. Divided into 2 parts.
- Chop the ham with bars.
- Add onions and ham to the dishes with the egg, mix (milk can be added to taste).
- Put the resulting mixture in an oven preheated to 170 ° C (the omelet form must be pre-greased with oil). Bake until complete evaporation of liquids.
Sprinkle the finished omelet with the second half of chopped onion.
Ingredients: ostrich egg (1 piece), tomatoes (5 pieces), zucchini (500 grams), hard cheese (to taste), tomato sauce (to taste), spices and herbs (to taste).
Cooking:
- Pour the egg into a large hot pan. Fry, periodically raising the edges.
- Cut tomatoes and zucchini, fry in oil in another pan.
- Distribute the vegetable mixture over the ostrich egg, wrap the omelet in a roll.
Pour the finished dish in tomato sauce, sprinkle with grated cheese, herbs and spices.
Ostrich Egg Salad
Ingredients: ostrich egg (1 piece), butter (to taste), creamy mustard sauce (to taste), radish (for decoration), salad (leaves, for decoration).
Cooking:
- Boil the ostrich egg hard, let it cool, peel, cut into rings.
- Grease each ring with butter (like a regular sandwich).
Sandwiches folded on a plate slide, pour sauce and garnish with vegetables.
Ostrich Meringue
Ingredients: ostrich egg (1 piece), cream (2 liters), cheese (200 grams), herbs (tablespoon), ground chili pepper (to taste), salt (to taste).
Cooking:
- Make 2 holes in the ostrich egg, blow out the contents in a bowl and beat until smooth.
- Add greens, cream, salt, chili pepper and finely grated cheese. Stir again.
- Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet, close it well with foil and send to a preheated oven.
After 20 minutes, remove the pan, remove the foil and put the dish in the oven again. Bake until cooked.
Here it is, an ostrich egg: a little shocking in its size, but able to replace our usual chicken.