Duck Egg Chart

Fried, scrambled, poached...however, you like your duck egg cooked, you're about to enjoy a low-cost superfood! Eggs are one of the most nutritious foods available and provide nearly all the daily vitamins and minerals your body needs. Before you clean your duck egg and crack it open, run a quick egg freshness test to make sure it's safe to eat. Ever wonder what's actually inside a duck egg? We're sharing the in-depth anatomy of a duck egg with everything that's under the shell. They're truly the incredible edible egg!

Shell → The hard but porous protective layer is made of calcium carbonate. It's semi-permeable and allows air and moisture to pass through its tiny pores. The outermost layer of the shell is the "bloom." This protective foamy, liquid protein coating is created in the final stage of egg formation. It solidifies as the egg cools and helps protect the yolk from bacteria.

Yolk → The rich yolk is made of fat, protein, water, cholesterol, minerals, vitamins, and lecithin. Inside your body, lecithin converts to choline which is essential for healthy cell membranes. The color of the egg yolk depends on the duck's diet. If a duck eats a lot of yellow or orange pigmented food with more carotenoids, the yolk will be a deeper orange. If your duck eats more yellow to pale-colored foods, like pellets or wheat, their eggs will be a lighter yellow.

Chalaza → The protein strands help suspend the yolk in the white. The two opaque rope-like whites are attached to the egg membrane and act like anchors inside the egg. The fresher the egg the more easily you'll be able to spot the chalaza.

Air Cell → The pocket forms after the laid egg cools and rests between the outer and inner membrane at the larger end of the egg. As the egg ages and loses moisture, the air cell gets larger and helps indicate freshness. You can easily spot the air cell when cracking into a hard-boiled egg.

White → The 2 part albumen (thin and thick) helps protect the yolk and is made of protein and water. Duck egg whites are much firmer than chicken eggs! We love duck eggs more for this very reason! Our baked goods are always a little fluffier and lighter thanks to the white helped to bind the ingredients better.

Geminal Disk → A small white spot about two to three millimeters across where the sperm would enter the egg. The duck embryo would develop from this small disk and would eventually send blood vessels into the yolk for the embryo's nutrition.

Shell Membrane → The inner and outer frosty membrane made of protein helps to prevent bacteria and foreign matter from reaching the egg's white and yolk. You'll notice the membrane lining the most when it's peeled off a hardboiled egg.