Considering the popularity of turkey meat in America, one would expect that turkey eggs would also be readily available for consumption. Surprisingly, those who have tried turkey eggs report that they are quite similar to chicken eggs and are also incredibly delicious!
From Unbelievable Facts:
The first thing that strikes most people about a turkey egg is probably its size. Several accounts by Turkey farmers or food bloggers mention that turkey eggs are big, anywhere between 25% to 50% larger than an average chicken egg. The speckled, deep-brown to reddish-brown spots on the shell make them stand out from a chicken egg.
Most food bloggers often agree on one thing; they taste quite similar to a chicken egg, although several other differences set them apart. For instance, they’re harder to crack, and the yolk-to-white ratio is much higher, making them creamier. As for their nutritional profile, eggs themselves are considered nutrition-dense superfoods.
According to a study looking at the composition of different avian egg types, turkey eggs are a good choice for crude protein with the highest values for a fatty-acid profile. Food nutrition scientists label them as a good source of vitamin B, including vitamins B12 and B9. They also contain much higher fat and cholesterol content since it is not uncommon for turkeys to lay eggs with two yolks.
Talking of turkeys and their popularity, in 2011, 736 million pounds of turkey were consumed in the United States. Furthermore, 88% of Americans surveyed by the National Turkey Federation eat turkey on Thanksgiving. Translated into statistics, 46 million turkeys are eaten each Thanksgiving, 22 million on Christmas, and 19 million turkeys on Easter. Given the staggering numbers, how is it that turkey eggs are hardly available, let alone regularly consumed?
The sheer economics of turkey eggs renders them a not-so-viable option. To begin with, Turkeys are slow to start laying eggs. Since the bird has a longer life cycle, it takes roughly about 28 weeks before it can start laying eggs. Another important thing is that turkeys lay eggs much less frequently than other birds.
I am extremely curious to try a turkey egg, and I'm confident that many other Americans would share the same interest.
It's possible that if these eggs were more easily accessible, we could have avoided the skyrocketing prices of chicken eggs that we experienced not too long ago.
