When my overseas friends or colleagues plan to visit Japan, I always encouraged them to visit a supermarket. There are many things to see, and one of them is eggs. In this article, I’ll introduce some points to pay attention to when going to a Japanese supermarket!
Expiration Date and Quantity
One of the characteristics of Japanese eggs is their short expiration date, probably around 10-14 days. In contrast, overseas eggs often have a shelf life of 1 to 2-3 months. Another thing to note is in Japan, eggs are typically sold in packs of 6 to 12, while overseas you’ll find larger packs of 20 to 30.
This difference is attributed to cultural eating habits. Eggs are commonly cooked thoroughly overseas, allowing for longer expiration dates. In Japan, however, they are often consumed raw, which shortens the shelf life.
For more on Japanese culture of eating raw eggs, check out the following link!
Sizes
In Japan, eggs are sold in various sizes, such as S, M, and L. This type of classification is not common overseas. I’m not sure about the exact reason behind this selling method in Japan. However, having eggs in different sizes can be helpful, for example, when cooking soft-boiled eggs as each size requires different boiling times.
Cracked Eggs
Encountering cracked eggs is common overseas, but in Japan, it’s quite rare. My wife used to check carefully for cracked eggs when buying them abroad. Thankfully, I haven’t encountered cracked eggs in Japanese supermarkets.
By-talk
As a side note, in Japan, where raw eggs are consumed, there are producers who meticulously pursue egg quality. Eggs from such producers are known as high-end eggs and can cost around 500 yen (about 4 dollars) per piece. They are not commonly found in regular supermarkets, so we would have to purchase them from specialty stores or online shops. It’s something worth trying at least once!
