What Exactly Is the Difference Between Brown and White Eggs?

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When distinguishing peppers, colors will provide a clear distinction. A red pepper tastes different than a green pepper, and an orange pepper tastes different than a yellow pepper. Straightforward. (With road signs, shapes will help you tell their purpose). But when it comes to non-Cadbury eggs, color doesn’t always help.

The two primary standard colors of chicken eggs that you’ll encounter in the supermarket are brown vs white eggs. But what, exactly, sets them apart? Both seem to taste the same and both can make amazing recipes. But what’s with the different colors? Well, their mothers are vastly different, or at least their earlobes and feathers are, according to the New York Times.

“Genes determine shell color, Dr. Bui said. White-feathered chickens with white earlobes lay white eggs; red or brown ones with red earlobes lay brown eggs; and the Ameraucana breed, also known as the Easter egg chicken, lays eggs with blue shells.”

Problem solved. It all comes down to genetics and taste-wise, there really isn’t a difference. But if the only differentiating factor is color, why is it that there are way more cartons of white eggs than brown at the supermarket? The article goes on to explain the hue-based distribution difference is due to cost, “Brown-egg chickens tend to be larger and cost more to feed and raise, so white eggs are more cost-efficient.”

There you have it. Now, if all of this egg education has you hungry, hop into the kitchen and try out one of these four tricks to get the perfect breakfast.

But why don’t Europeans refrigerate eggs? If only we had an answer.