Black chicken eggs are a sought-after delicacy in much of the world, but they do not exist. Black chicken eggs are fake eggs that are hyped up by creative marketers to affluent customers.
People have proven willing to pay exorbitant prices to attain the lustrous black eggs, hoping to experience a more exotic flavor and also strike up an interesting conversation at the dinner table.
Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and Gumtree are popular spaces that sellers list from where you’ll find people claiming to possess either black eggs or black chickens that will yield you an unlimited supply of eggs. Often the prices are 3x times more expensive than normal eggs from the grocery store.
And yet, some people feel that these rare eggs are worth the investment. If you’re one such person, and this topic has piqued your interest, then keep reading for everything you need to know about black chicken eggs, where they come from, and whether or not it’d be smart to seek them out for yourself.
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Where do black chicken eggs come from?
If you’re wondering why you’ve never seen black chicken eggs in your everyday life, there’s a good reason for that: they don’t exist. At least not naturally. Despite what they may look like on the outside, there simply isn’t a breed of chicken that produces black eggs.
Any eggs you see online are either photoshopped or hand-painted and are the result of greedy sellers who want to take advantage of people’s naivety. It’s a lucrative hustle that can yield huge profits (and potential legal ramifications for fraudulent behavior).
Why do people think black chicken eggs exist?
The misconception about black chicken eggs’ existence stems from two sources:
1. Dishonest Sellers
Due to high demand, sellers hide behind anonymous online profiles and purport that the eggs they’ve either dyed or photoshopped are authentic black chicken eggs. Over the years the photos from the listings have spread across social media, making the public accept the existence of these eggs. Fact is, these are doctored images.
2. Black Chickens
While most chickens you see are various shades of white, brown, and rust, there are a few breeds that really are black from head to toe. This includes their feathers, bones, organs, tongues, wattles and even their meat.
In the same way that people wrongly associate brown cows with chocolate milk, people think that black chickens produce black eggs. However, their eggs fall within the normal color spectrum of other chickens.
Which breeds of chicken are black?
The Ayam Cemani chicken is a rare breed of chicken with origins linked to Indonesia. Its striking black color contributes to the widely-held belief that it contains mystical or supernatural qualities. In reality, however, these chickens get their color from a condition called fibromelanosis, an overproduction of pigment within the body.
Even though the Ayam Cemani chicken doesn’t produce black eggs, its unique appearance does warrant a hefty price tag. You can expect to shell out around $2,000 or more on a breeding pair. If you can swing that amount, don’t expect to be able to import it to the U.S, as the government has banned them, due to the fear of Avian flu.
You can, however, enjoy this unique bird in its home country of Indonesia.
Other black breeds of chickens include Sumatra, Orpington, Langshan, Australorp, Minorca, Silkies, Jersey Giant, La Fleche, Kadaknath, and the Swedish Black. All of these birds sport black feathers to varying degrees, but none are as pure black as the Ayam Cemani chicken, known affectionately as “The Lamborghini of poultry.”
Even its blood, which isn’t exactly black, is more pigmented than regular chickens. For this reason, Ayam Cemanis is a popular choice for rituals and religious ceremonies within certain cultures.
Do black chickens taste different than normal chickens?
One reason that black chicken eggs are so desired is that people want to experience a new, unique flavor. But since we’ve established black chicken eggs don’t exist, that leaves the eggs and meat of black chickens.
You might assume that eggs from black chickens have a drastically different flavor than you’ve become accustomed to. However, that’s not the case – at least in the case of the Ayam Cemanis chicken.
People who’ve tried it note only a slightly altered flavor than normal chicken, citing a deeper, more savory profile. Otherwise, it’s just…well…chicken. You’d be happy to know, however, that this particular breed boasts more health benefits, including more antioxidants and cholesterol-fighting proteins. You can rightly assume the same thing for the eggs, which look nearly indistinguishable from those of a normal chicken.
Which birds produce black eggs?
Black chicken eggs might not actually exist, but that doesn’t mean that no birds produce black eggs. Emus, for example, lay large black eggs with a striking black hue and blue undertones.
Rarely, dishonest sellers will even use Emu eggs in their listings to trick customers into buying them.
However, one Emu egg equals about eight chicken eggs. In these cases, you can easily spot it as a fluke due to its enormous size.
Like chicken, Emu eggs and meat are perfectly safe for human consumption. In fact, domestic Emus taste similar to chicken. Wild Emu, however, will yield a much gamier flavor and grittier texture.