The egg shape
Wednesday, April 04, 2018
I have a house that has no door. What am I? What is your guess? If you grew up in the era of riddles around a fire you would know the answer: an egg.  During the Easter period the most trending food all over the Christian world is an Easter egg. Whether it is hard boiled and painted various colours, or they are made up of chocolate or other edible material, they remain eggs. 
 
One common denominator is that they are all a similar shape, oval or cylindrical; most of them anyway. Their consistently perfect shape is one the most amazing things about eggs.  This shape helps to keep them from falling over the ledge of a steep cliff high above where predators fear to tread. When the birds lay their eggs, they keep rolling in the same area, round and round and cannot fall off because of their elliptical form.  How spectacular is that?
 
Besides their shape, their ability to remain delicate yet at the same time house a living embryo is astonishing. Brittle yet with enough tiny holes to allow air to go through, they are just a study on how the Creator paid attention to the smallest detail.
 
Does the second Friday of every October ring an eggy bell? Well, it is the World Egg day. By eating eggs, you are getting protein.  Eggs in most parts of the planet are eaten as the first meal. Later in the day they can be put in salad or served as part of a smoothie.
 
Eggs have been part of menus for centuries perhaps due to their size, portability and the number of dishes they can be a part of. 
 
However, some people do not accept egg-eating because of the smell of the egg. Some people say that it is bad luck to break an egg while others still take eggs to be used during different rituals,such as when one buys a new car, they need to drive over the eggs if they are to have luck and avoid accidents. Consequently, they are seen by some people as evil and a food to be avoided.
 
Whatever your take on them, eggs are very much a part of the diet for most people. Their sticky quality ensures that they take first place in most pastries and other dishes. They have made their eggy splash and they are clearly here to stay.
 
The writer is an educator and counsellor
lnakibuuka@yahoo.com