Why Do We Eat Chicken Eggs But Not Turkey Eggs?

I lived in a poorish country for three years as a teenager. My mother was friends with a turkey farmer, and we got turkey eggs for free. That seemed like a good price to me, so I got used to eating turkey eggs. They’re slightly bigger than chicken eggs, and a little gamier. I wouldn ’t go out of my way to get them, but for free they were fine, and we never adjusted recipes for them.

UPDATE: Since this is getting traffic, I felt I should answer the question more completely. Turkey eggs are edible, but I didn’t think they were as good as chicken eggs, and as others have commented, they don’t seem as economical to produce. But there are better alternatives to chicken eggs.

As an adult, I love duck eggs. They’re bigger than chicken eggs and have a deeper, eggier flavor — in part, I think, because the yolks are much larger relative to whites. They’re great fried — they make a nice omelet too, but then you don’t get to see that great, big yolk. Ducks are smarter than chickens and can fend for themselves, so they tend to have a broader diet and to be allowed to free range. If you see duck eggs, buy them!

I’ve tried pheasant eggs and didn’t really like them. Too sulfury, though the two times I tried them was from the same supplier, so maybe it was the pheasant-egg farm from hell.

On the other hand, I love quail eggs (and quail and ducks, for that matter). They’re tiny little speckled things, four or five make up about two chicken eggs. They’re good fried, they look like toy eggs, and they’re also good boiled. Fancy restaurants use them for their eye appeal, but they taste great, like chicken eggs but more delicate.

I’m still waiting to try an ostrich egg, but it seems like such a production to cook.