Introduction — The Humble Egg, the Big Question (350+ words)

Eggs are one of the most universal foods on Earth. Whether you’re frying them for breakfast, whisking them into a cake batter, or cracking them into a skillet of sizzling butter, eggs are part of almost every culture, cuisine, and kitchen. Yet despite how simple they appear, eggs come with one of the most persistent kitchen debates of all time:

Do eggs need to be washed before you cook with them?

At first glance, the question seems silly. We wash fruits, we wash vegetables, we wash herbs, and we certainly wash our hands. So why wouldn’t we wash eggs — something that comes from a farm animal, often from a dusty coop, complete with feathers and sometimes bits of straw or dirt?

But here’s the twist most people don’t know:
Washing eggs can actually make them less safe, not more.

Across the world, different countries follow completely different egg-handling rules. In the United States, eggs are always washed before being sold, but in much of Europe, eggs are never washed — not on the farm, not in the store, not at home. Australia’s system blends the two approaches. Parts of Asia don’t refrigerate eggs at all. In rural communities, it’s still common to collect eggs directly from the coop and place them unwashed into a countertop basket.

So what’s the truth? Does washing eggs make them safer to eat, or does it actually create new problems? Should you rinse an egg under the tap before cracking it into your pan? Or leave it exactly as it is?

Like many kitchen questions, the answer isn’t simple. It depends on how the egg was produced, where you live, how the egg has been stored, and whether the egg has been pre-washed before reaching you.

This 2,000-word guide breaks everything down clearly, simply, and practically — so by the end, you’ll know exactly what to do with every egg you crack.