There are so many ways to cook and prepare eggs. We fry them, we boil them, and we poach them. Some people even eat them raw (which is believed to relieve hangovers effectively). Then there are the salted eggs that the Filipino people love.
If you visit the Philippines and find your self in a market to buy eggs for some reason, you will usually find chicken eggs, and pink ones. Now, you wonder what those eggs are, where they come from and why they’re pink. Those pink babies are the salted eggs I have been telling you about. So… Why are they pink? If you look at them closely, they are really pink, like your teenage sister’s favorite color! But no, they are not really that pink on the inside. You don’t expect them to look like candy without their shell, do you? Actually, they were just dyed pink so they can be distinguished as “salted”.
As always, many Filipino people still practice most things traditionally, and in tradition, salted eggs are supposed to be pink. But because of the constantly changing world, some people have decided not to color the eggs pink when they make salted eggs. So, in some places, you will find eggs that are not pink, but are salted. They have stickers on them instead. Some people liked the idea, but others didn’t really get the point. Either way, salted eggs will always be as salty and delicious.
If you don’t know already, the salted eggs you can find in the public markets here are duck eggs that have been soaked in brine for around ten to fifteen days. This gives them the distinct salty flavor that Filipinos love eating anytime of the day. Salted eggs are best paired with tomatoes. You must be wondering what the tomatoes are for. Well, since the eggs are salty, the tomatoes act as the neutralizer for the salty flavor of the eggs. Most people enjoy this pair with fried fish and fried rice.
If you have read about the Philippines in the past, then you should already be aware that Filipinos enjoy a variety of dishes that some people from other countries would find odd. This is one of the few good reasons why it is best to choose the Philippines if you want to have the best food trip experience of your life.
/// Written by Mary Elizabeth V. Francisco, The Philippines
