On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 232

fermentation: that is, it denatures the egg
proteins, and breaks down some of the
complex, flavorless proteins and fats into
simpler, highly flavorful components. The
disruptivelyhighpHforcestheeggproteinsto
unfold,andatthesametimeconfersonthem
a strongly repelling negative charge. The
dissolved salt, with its positive and negative
ions,moderatestherepulsionenoughthatthe
fine strands of widely dispersed albumen
proteins are able to bond into a solid yet
transparentgel.Intheyolk,thesameextreme
conditions destroy the organized structure of
the yolk spheres, and with it the usual
graininess; the yolk proteins coagulate into a
creamy mass. The extreme alkalinity also
browns the albumen by accelerating the
reactionbetweentheproteinsandthetraceof
glucose(seep.89),anditgreenstheyolkby
encouraging the formation of ferrous sulfide
throughouttheyolk,notjustatitssurface(as
in hard-cooked eggs; see p. 89). Finally, the


alkalinity intensifies the egg’s flavor by
breaking down both proteins and
phospholipids into hydrogen sulfide,
distinctly animal fatty acids, and pungent
ammonia (the fumes from a freshly opened
eggwillturnlitmuspaperblue).
NouveauxPidan Recently, two Taiwanese

foodscientistsdevisedamethodformakinga
striking, toned-down version ofpidan. They
minimized the chemical stress, and thus the
alterationofcolorandflavor,bylimitingthe
alkaline treatment to eight days in a solution
of 5% salt and 4.2% lye. Such eggs don’t
solidifyontheirown.Butwhentheunfolding
and bonding are supplemented by gentle
heating at 160ºF/70ºC for 10 minutes, these
eggssettoagoldenyolkandacolorless,clear
white!
Pine-Blossom Eggs An especially prized
variant ofpidan is one in which the aspiccoloredwhiteismarkedthroughoutwithtiny,