Yes, It’s Possible to “Cook” an Egg Without Heat—Here’s How

Oksana Mizina/ShutterstockNot only are eggs great attributes to practically any meal, but they’re also one of the best brain foods. It takes skill to cook the perfect egg, but what if we told you that you don’t actually need heat to cook it?

OK, you can’t actually eat the egg if you “cook” it this way—besides, there are other, more tasty ways to eat more protein—but it’s still interesting. First, crack open the egg and drop its contents into a cup of alcohol. Any kind of alcohol will do, but the stronger it is, the faster the “cooking” process will be. Check back after one hour, and voila! The egg white will be cooked and white!

So how did that magic happen? Well, it has nothing to do with magic—science is the real answer. Egg whites consist of protein and water. Inside the protein are long chains of amino acids. These chains are essential to the protein; they fold up and create the protein’s shape and function. The folds are held together by hydrogen bonds, which are easily broken by heat, alcohol, acid, or other substances. When the hydrogen bonds break, the amino acid unravels and the proteins stick to each other, thus creating “cooked” egg whites.

However, it is pivotal to emphasize that rubbing alcohol is poisonous and after “cooking” your egg this way, it is not edible. If you do want to add some edible protein into your diet, here are 55 delicious and easy egg recipes to enjoy any time of the day!