Raise your hand if you think eggs are the most amazing breakfast, lunch, and dinner food.
ANYWAY. Did all of you egg-lovers know that chickens are fed yellow things to give egg yolks that beautiful ~sunny~ color?!?!
Yup! Egg yolk color is dependent on a hen's diet. I'd like to say it's from the power of egg magic — because, again, eggs are fantastic — but it really boils down to science.
Certain plants contain yellow-orange pigments called xanthophylls. After being eaten by the chicken, these pigments are deposited in the egg yolk, resulting in a sunny-yellow color!
Sometimes, marigold leaves (!!!) are added to chicken feed.
Or carrots.
Or orange peels.
Chickens that are fed wheat and barley will produce a paler yolk, while a cornmeal diet can result in an almost colorless yolk. WHAAAAT.
What about orange-colored yolks? Those are more likely to come from free-range hens because they have more access to said pigment-rich food.
Why does the color matter? Honestly, it doesn't, but humans are evidently divas about egg yolk color. Some people associate egg color with an egg's nutritional value — or the overall health of the hen. However, yolk color has not been shown to be indicative of either!
My mind is blown. It's amazing, fascinating, and just another reason why eggs are the most perfect food to exist!!!
