video platform, there are many foreign bloggers who specialize in Chinese food evaluation. Faced with many Chinese food, different bloggers often have different evaluations because of their different tastes. But there is one thing that has overwhelmingly negative reviews: preserved eggs. They said they couldn't accept it at all, and how much they couldn't accept it. On the foreigner's food evaluation list, preserved eggs were listed as one of the top ten disgusting foods in the world. It is still on the list.
Before discussing why foreigners cannot accept preserved eggs, we must first resolve the doubts of some domestic food lovers: Do preserved eggs cause cancer?
Preserved eggs are a specialty food in my country. They are versatile whether served as cold salad, porridge or stir-fry. The "egg" is red in color. After putting aside the light-colored outer shell of the preserved egg, what is revealed is a black one that is in great contrast with the appearance. Looking at the pattern on it, it does not come directly from the animal body, which makes people suspicious. Are there harmful substances in this "black egg"? I'm worried whether eating it will cause cancer.
Where do preserved eggs come from? Will eating them cause cancer?
The history of preserved eggs can be traced back to the Han and Tang Dynasties. Its true identity is duck eggs. The surface of duck eggs looks very solid, but it is actually breathable, so the Chinese will use them. After quicklime, salt, plant ash , rice husk and other materials are mixed with mud, the duck eggs are fully wrapped inside and then marinated for sufficient time.
During the pickling process, the calcium oxide in the quicklime will penetrate the eggshell and enter the egg, allowing the protein of the duck egg to be decomposed and reorganized into a gel texture, and the yolk will slowly change color, finally forming a preserved egg. , and the patterns on preserved eggs are also normal.
Judging from the materials and techniques used in production, preserved eggs have not come into contact with substances harmful to the human body. The reason why there are patterns is because the protein in the egg white will decompose into a substance when it encounters an alkaline environment. This substance will react with the magnesium ions in the protein to form patterns.
Do preserved eggs cause cancer?
When making preserved eggs using traditional techniques, " yellow red powder " will be added to it. The main active ingredient is lead oxide. This substance can promote the maturity of preserved eggs, coagulate proteins, prevent liquefaction, and make preserved eggs look more "transparent". The lead contained in yellow red powder will have a negative impact on the nervous system and digestive system when ingested by the human body. It will also affect the development of the brain and intelligence.
Huangdan powder is also used when making preserved eggs with modern technology. As for whether it causes cancer, as early as the end of 2015, China began to implement the new national standard for preserved eggs which clearly stipulates that the lead content in preserved eggs should not exceed 0.5g. /kg, although it still contains lead, the lead content is similar to that of daily consumption of tofu and fish, and can be ignored.
Some eggshells will have black spots, it does not mean that the preserved eggs are bad or unhealthy. That's because when making preserved eggs, the eggshell reacts with the substances used in processing to form deposits.
After reading this, you can know that as long as the preserved eggs are purchased from regular supermarkets, there will be no problem and you can eat them with confidence.
Preserved eggs are delicious. Although they do not cause cancer, it is not recommended to eat more.
Summer is the best-selling season for preserved eggs. Mix them with vinegar and they are very delicious, but avoid eating them in large quantities.
Preserved eggs contain a lot of lead. Eating too much will have an impact on bones, appetite, and increase the body’s digestive burden. Hypertensive patients should eat less, as blood pressure may fluctuate, which is not conducive to alleviation of the disease.
The elderly, children, pregnant women, patients with high blood pressure, and patients with liver and kidney diseases are not recommended to eat preserved eggs and try not to eat them.
On one side, it is loved by Chinese people, and on the other side, it is "disliked" by foreigners. There was an incident in Italy where the police discovered the existence of preserved eggs during a food safety patrol and seized the preserved eggs because in their eyes the preserved eggs had gone bad and were unhealthy. As I said just now, preserved eggs are rated by foreigners as one of the top ten disgusting foods in the world. Even Mr. Bei, who "eats everything", cannot accept preserved eggs.
Selected as one of the top ten disgusting foods in the world, why do foreigners "deny" preserved eggs?
First of all, in everyone's perception, no matter how strange an egg looks, when you crack it open, what you see is the white egg white. Foreigners who have no history of preserved eggs generally will not accept it. So before eating it, I dismissed preserved eggs based on their appearance.
Secondly, they "can't eat". Every time foreigners eat preserved eggs, they eat them directly. In fact, we don’t eat them this way. Instead, we eat them cold or put them in porridge, so that part of the strange smell will be covered up.
Plus, preserved eggs are soft and sticky when touched, and smell like a "rotten" smell. Their sense of sight, touch, and smell are not good, which leads to a deeper prejudice against preserved eggs.
This is actually a reflection of the differences between Chinese and Western diets, just like the Chinese people are somewhat prejudiced against foreign canned herrings and cheeses.
Reference:
1. Rumors: Preserved eggs contain high lead, which can lead to chronic poisoning and cancer? These people cannot eat Original 2021-12-28 09:10 · Popular Science 2. Chinese and foreigners do not recognize preserved eggs Expert: Cultural differences between China and foreign countries Shiran2019-05-08 14:10·China Food News
On one side, it is loved by Chinese people, and on the other side, it is "disliked" by foreigners. There was an incident in Italy where the police discovered the existence of preserved eggs during a food safety patrol and seized the preserved eggs because in their eyes the preserved eggs had gone bad and were unhealthy. As I said just now, preserved eggs are rated by foreigners as one of the top ten disgusting foods in the world. Even Mr. Bei, who "eats everything", cannot accept preserved eggs.
Selected as one of the top ten disgusting foods in the world, why do foreigners "deny" preserved eggs?
First of all, in everyone's perception, no matter how strange an egg looks, when you crack it open, what you see is the white egg white. Foreigners who have no history of preserved eggs generally will not accept it. So before eating it, I dismissed preserved eggs based on their appearance.
Secondly, they "can't eat". Every time foreigners eat preserved eggs, they eat them directly. In fact, we don’t eat them this way. Instead, we eat them cold or put them in porridge, so that part of the strange smell will be covered up.
Plus, preserved eggs are soft and sticky when touched, and smell like a "rotten" smell. Their sense of sight, touch, and smell are not good, which leads to a deeper prejudice against preserved eggs.
This is actually a reflection of the differences between Chinese and Western diets, just like the Chinese people are somewhat prejudiced against foreign canned herrings and cheeses.
Reference:
1. Rumors: Preserved eggs contain high lead, which can lead to chronic poisoning and cancer? These people cannot eat Original 2021-12-28 09:10 · Popular Science 2. Chinese and foreigners do not recognize preserved eggs Expert: Cultural differences between China and foreign countries Shiran2019-05-08 14:10·China Food News
