Have you ever seen such a lustrous gold egg before? I’m willing to bet most people would answer “no” to that. And yet, this shiny egg is the real thing! Well, at least it’s a real egg, anyway.

I found this little gem at my local supermarket. I was so bewitched by its glitter and shine that I put it in my basket almost on reflex, determined to taste-test it at home.

These eggs, which are labeled “Good Fortune Eggs”, are slowly smoked for two days and nights, then painted with an eye-catching and apparently edible gold paint.

Now for the taste test. First, I peeled off the shell, which came off surprisingly easily. With a little crackle, the shell slid right off and out popped the egg! And then the moment of truth: the first bite. Ummmm, well, it tastes pretty much like a regular smoked egg. I can’t really say there was anything special about it, but it was as delicious as smoked eggs generally are.

At 400 yen (almost $5) for a box of two, I don’t think I’ll be buying these again. And yet, somehow, I felt like the egg had brought me some good luck or positive energy. So perhaps there is something to these Good Fortune Eggs. So if you happen to spot them twinkling on the shelf of your local supermarket, perhaps you should give them a try. You never know…


[ Read in Japanese ]