Egg-splaining Eggs

When used in cooking meatballs, eggs primary function is as a...?

• binder

• thickener

• color enhancer

• flavor enhancer

Answer explanation

When forming meatballs we use a combination of bread crumbs and egg in order to help the meat stick or bind together. In this situation, we say the eggs act as a binder or binding agent.

An eggs primary function when added to a pudding is to...?

• increase sweetness
• provide texture

• thicken the pudding

• add flavor

Answer explanation

Eggs are one of the few foods that thicken as you cook them. Think about fried eggs, and how the yolk gets harder as it heats. By utilizing the thickening property of eggs, we can make many fun things such as puddings, sauces, custards, and more!

When used in this way, we say an egg is a thickener or thickening agent.

When breading chicken eggs are primarily used as a _______?

Answer explanation

To "bread chicken" is to apply flour to the outside, usually in preparation for frying. We first coat the chicken in the egg so the flour sticks to the chicken. In this case, we call the egg a coating.

This can seem similar to binding, but in this case remember that the egg only coats the chicken, and isn't mixed in with the chicken like in meatballs.

When used to make mayonnaise, eggs are an __________.

• thickener

• binding agent
• flavoring agent
• emulsifier

Answer explanation

To emulsify is to mix two liquids that usually would not mix, such as oil and water. This is only possible with the use of an emulsifier. Eggs have special molecules that love both oil and water, which allow them to combine.

A common emulsion you might know is mayonnaise. Mayonnaise is made using oil and eggs, which contain both water and emulsifying molecules.

When mixed, eggs help the oil and water mix and keep them stable, creating the mayonnaise you put on your sandwiches and salads.

When eggs are used in this way, we call them an emulsifier or emulsifying agent.

When used in an angel food cake, eggs function as a _________ agent.

• thickening

• binding
• leavening

• flavoring

Answer explanation

When mixed with air, eggs can become a leavening agent. Trapping air inside the egg white gives eggs the ability to puff up, leavening the baked good (causing the baked good to rise).

Use of eggs as a leavening agent is not as common as their other uses, but for examples you should look to cakes, souffles, German pancakes, and similar dishes.