Roasting eggs is probably the most ancient way of cooking eggs. About 1 million years ago, when early man discovered fire, people still collected eggs from different birds before they were domesticated. With no cooking pots, the art of roasting eggs in ashes is the only near possible thing to imagine for a man who is just evolving and has just discovered fire.
The ancient ways of roasting eggs may have fizzled out in many civilizations. However, we still know that our ancestors were adept at roasting eggs. As late as the 19th century, some travelers, such as Boston minister George Foxcroft Haskins, brought home accounts of enjoying roasted eggs during their travels.
Maybe these stories from travelers were the origin of the famous proverb by Edmund Burke: “There is reason in roasting eggs.” The saying means there’s a rationale for everything a person does, trivial as it may seem.
In the 1700s, another saying, “I have eggs on the spit,” emerged, referring to a task that needed attention. It comes from the laborious task of roasting eggs after they had been hard-boiled and the yolks removed to be seasoned before being put back into the whites.
The ancient art of roasting eggs
As mentioned, before people gathered enough knowledge to roast eggs, they buried them in hot ashes and waited for them to cook. But this method was not efficient. If you’ve ever tried microwaving a raw egg in its shell, you probably know it explodes, scattering all over.
Over time, humans devised new methods of roasting eggs, which were much more efficient and didn’t explode. Sadly, there are no documented ancient recipes for how they roasted their eggs.
Roasted eggs during the Passover seder feast
Roasted eggs are one of the meals consumed by the Jewish people during the Passover seder feast. They represent fertility renewal and the stages of life from birth to death. The eggs are eaten alongside other herbs and indigenous foods with different symbolic meanings. The roasted eggs for the Passover seder feast are known as Beitzah among the Jewish people.
How did we stop roasting eggs?
With the rise of civilization, people slowly ditched their ancient ways to embrace modernity. People no longer cooked on open fires, and cookware was introduced. Today, you can fry eggs in minutes rather than waiting hours for them to roast.
As the world industrialized, hunting for wild eggs and roasting them became something only children did for play. But with time, poultry birds became domesticated, and no eggs could be found around for children to gather and roast as they played and wandered far away from home.
The joy and fun of roasting eggs is still available today. You can still explore and experience the goodness of roasted eggs. Later, we will outline three simple ways to make roasted eggs at home or during camping.
Modern methods of roasting eggs
Today, roasted eggs are making a comeback on the menu. Those who’ve heard the pleasure of tasting it say the meal has a delicious creamy flavor with a slightly smoky flavor — they keep you yearning for more.
Some recipes require you to boil the eggs before roasting to keep them from exploding. Others need you to pop a small hole at one end before burying it in ashes.
One good thing about these recipes is you require minimal ingredients and equipment. All you need is fire from charcoal or firewood and your eggs. Below are easy methods to roast your eggs.
Method 1
Light your fire and let it burn down to ashes. Make a small hole at the top of the eggs you intend to roast and carefully place them on the ashes. Ensure that you completely cover the eggs with hot ashes for 15-30 minutes, depending on the temperature of the ashes.
Remove the eggs, let them cool, and remove the shells like you do with hard-boiled eggs. You can season them with pepper, salt, or your preferred seasonings.
Method 2
Boil your eggs until they are well cooked (hard-boiled eggs). Roast them over open embers until the shell is brown. You can also use tongs to hold one above the flame of your gas stove until the surface is brown. Let them cool and remove the shells, season, and enjoy.
Method 3
Make small holes on either end of your eggs, put small sticks like skewers through the holes, and roast on open embers until your eggs are well cooked. When they are done, let them cool, remove the shells, season, and enjoy.
Takeaway
People are discovering the long-lost flavors of roasted eggs with recipes like Korean sauna eggs or oven-baked eggs. Roasted eggs are flavorful and convenient for preparing a meal, especially during camping.
With the practical methods of roasting eggs mentioned above, you can enjoy the unique tastes that danced on your forebears’ tongues ages ago. Enjoy!
