What Does It Mean When Your Egg Yolks Are Different Colors?

Eggs are not only nutritious and tasty — they're also versatile. There's a multitude of ways they can be prepared as the hero of breakfast, but also as a dinner food. But, if you've ever used multiple eggs from the same carton, you might have noticed that some yolks are completely different colors. Maricel Gentile, executive chef and owner of Maricel's Kitchen, as well as the author of "Maricel's Simply Asian Cookbook," spoke with Food Republic on this topic.

Maricel told us: "What actually makes the yolk its color is the hen's diet. A diet rich in carotenoids such as fresh greens, marigolds, or alfalfa" produces more intensely orange yolks, which most people find taste better. "Pale yolks can mean the hen had a more processed diet. It does not mean the egg is bad, but it can reflect lower quality farming processes."

So, what does it mean when the yolks from eggs in the same carton are different colors? It could be that one hen foraged a better variety of greens and bugs than another. Maybe it was an adventurer, while another hen from the same coop preferred not to wander so far.

It might seem logical that eggs with deep orange yolks — meaning they came from hens with a better variety of foods in their diet — would also be more nutritious. But there is actually no evidence to support this. Instead, the only difference is that it may be more ethical to consume eggs from hens who were given the freedom to roam and eat a variety of plants and bugs. Whether the hens are pasture-raised or factory-farmed, their eggs tend to have the same nutritional value.

As mentioned, though, there is often a perceptible difference in the taste. Maricel Gentile notes: "While science will tell you that the color is no indicator that [one] egg is more nutritious than [another] egg, I am convinced that the farm-raised hens in the Philippines produced the best-tasting eggs anywhere." She continues, "I still remember [...] my Lola cracking a fresh egg right over hot garlic fried rice [...] It was so simple and so delicious, and that yolk was so vibrant."

If you want the most flavorful eggs, skip the supermarket and instead head to your local farmer's market, or make friends with someone who has chickens. Also, while it costs more to keep chickens than it does to buy eggs if you have the budget and space, there is truly nothing like collecting eggs from your own yard.