How to boil the egg? Scientists say they broke the recipe.

A colleague approached Ernesto Di Maio, a material scientist in Naples, Italy and an expert in the field of plastic foams, with a blunt suggestion: “You should do something cooler.” A colleague had in mind the project, reminded Dr. Di Maio. He wanted a perfectly cooked egg.

The task was more challenging than you might think, as many home cooks know. Yolk and protein egg or albums have different chemical compositions that require different heating temperatures. Dr. Di Di Maio and his colleagues were also satisfied in his restaurant in Milan.

Scientists have developed a way of cooking an egg that does not require special culinary skills or Fancy gadgets. It took about 300 eggs, although the scientists “did not eat them all,” said Pellegrino Musto, a polymer expert at the National Research Council of Italy.

Scientists said that their method had published on ThursdayHe retains clear egg textures as well as its nutritional value.

Two parts of the egg require different cooking temperatures because they have different chemicals. “Albums are mainly consisting of water and proteins,” said Emilia di Lorenzo, a graduate of Dr. Di Maio laboratory at the University of Neapol Federico II, who recently published Article about a foaming pizza. “On the other hand, yolks are much richer in nutrients.”

Egg hardness This is a popular approach that requires at least 10 minutes of immersion in boiling water. It’s long enough for the yolks to be thoroughly cooked. But it is also a lot of time for the album’s protein to develop and stick together, excreting water molecules during heating. This approach can also create a green ring around the yolk, which indicates the presence of stinking iron sulfide.

“Many times people say that they do not like egg protein rubber or granules of yolk in hard-boiled egg,” said Nelson Serrano-Bahri, chef and innovation director at the American Egg Board, the main trade association of the egg industry, which recently dealt with growing prices and worry about bird flu.

AND Soft boiling, On the other hand, it requires a much shorter cooking period. This stops the album from caution – but it can also keep too pliable yolk. Mrs. Di Lorenzo explained that the yolks are opulent in lipids, which after heating become more polished. Although some people prefer leaking yolks, others find it outrageous.

The third method, known as Sous Vide, cooks the egg for an hour in a water bath of 150 degrees Fahrenheit. This is an ideal temperature for yolk, but the prolonged exposure is less optimal for the album, because the water is not heated enough to denicate its proteins.

Mrs. Di Lorenzo was blunt about the Sous Vide approach: “There is suffering. I’m not a large fan. “

The recent method of scientists, obtained using liquid dynamics software, requires alternating boiling and lukewarm water: the egg gets two minutes in water 212 degrees, and then two minutes at 86 degrees, with a cycle repeated eight times. Dr

“The key of our method is to have a well-cooked album without wasting yolk,” said Dr. Di Maio.

The study showed that in relation to other periodic bathing methods, it maintains the nutrients of the egg better. The authors noticed a higher concentration of polyphenols, compounds that protect against DNA damage.

“It’s probably brilliant – but who is the method for?” DEB Perelman asked, which runs the popular Smitten Kitchen blog. “For home cooking, there is always a necessary balance of ideal compared to reasonable effort.”

Its preferred Reliable method It includes a long ice bath after cooking the egg. In the recipe for The New York TimesJ. Kenji López-Alt suggested evaporating an egg in one inches of water.

“It’s a matter of taste,” said Di Lorenzo. If learning is universal, the food is deeply personal. Some people even eat raw eggs.

The recent technique of Italian technology has one large drawback. “It is more challenging to peel a periodic egg because everything is softer,” said Dr. Di Maio.

But Mr. Serrano-Bahri said that an egg board is in this matter. “We are conducting a study to find out,” he said. “I could have an answer for you in the coming months.”