Complete protein: about 6 g per egg; one of the richest common food sources of choline. Provides vitamin B12, vitamin D, selenium, lutein (a yellow pigment linked to eye health) and zeaxanthin.
The Persian breakfast egg is nimroo — fried in butter or oil, often with tomato, eaten with bread. The same egg binds kuku sabzi, enriches ash, and sits on the sofreh at Nowruz as a symbol of new life.
One egg is a complete protein with choline, vitamin B12 and vitamin D in a form most people digest easily — useful at any age, and especially in later life.
Chapter 2 of 11
Traditional Persian Perspective
Persian temperament: Hot & Moist (1st degree). The yolk was read as warmer and more nourishing than the white, and given to people recovering from illness.
Traditionally read as warm and moist and considered strengthening, with the yolk regarded as the nourishing part and the white as lighter.
Painted eggs on the haft-sin table; nimroo in a small pan at the centre of the breakfast cloth.
Chapter 3 of 11
What It Holds and What Studies Show
Vitamins
Vitamin B12, Riboflavin
Other notable constituents
Minerals: Selenium, Iodine, Phosphorus
Strong evidence
Eggs are the richest common dietary source of choline, a nutrient most adults fall short of.Strong evidence
Moderate evidence
Egg intake of up to one per day was not associated with heart and blood vessel disease risk in most large cohort studies (a study that follows a group of people over time).Moderate evidence
Lutein and zeaxanthin from egg yolk are absorbed more efficiently than the same compounds from leafy greens.Moderate evidence
Chapter 4 of 11
Preparation and Kitchen Use
Beaten into kuku with a mass of chopped herbs, which is the main Persian egg dish.
Fried in butter with tomato for omlet, eaten at any hour.
Soft-boiled for six minutes, which keeps the yolk liquid and the nutrients intact.
Nimroo: fry gently in a little butter, with or without tomato, and eat with sangak.
Beat with chopped herbs for kuku sabzi.
Boil and slice over salad shirazi or an ash bowl.
Chapter 5 of 11
What It Goes With
Spice:
Turmeric
A quarter teaspoon in the beaten egg. It is in almost every Persian egg dish and does as much for the colour as the flavour.
Spice:
Saffron
Bloomed saffron in an omelette turns it gold and gives it a faint bitterness that suits the richness.
Herb:
Persian Basil
Herbs are half of kuku sabzi by volume. Basil, coriander and parsley in roughly equal weight.
Chapter 6 of 11
What It Goes With: More Pairings
Pairing:
Walnut
Chopped walnut through a kuku adds texture and keeps it from going rubbery.
Fruit:
Barberry
A scatter of barberries in kuku sabzi. The sourness lifts what is otherwise a very green dish.
Dairy:
Yogurt
Cold yogurt beside a hot kuku is the standard plate, and it's a balance thing.
Chapter 7 of 11
Who Should Be Careful
Children:
Egg is one of the most common childhood food allergens; reactions can be severe.
General caution:
Keep refrigerated and don't use cracked eggs.
Chapter 8 of 11
Medicines and Interactions
Medication interaction:
Warfarin — Egg yolk carries some vitamin K. The amount is modest, but going from one egg a week to three a day is a real change in intake. (low concern)
Medication interaction:
Levothyroxine — No direct interaction, though a large protein breakfast taken with the tablet slows absorption. Take the tablet first. (low concern)
Chapter 9 of 11
Pregnancy, Children and Older Adults
General
Pregnancy and breastfeeding:
Cook eggs thoroughly for pregnancy, young children, older adults and anyone immunocompromised — undercooked egg carries salmonella risk.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Pregnancy and breastfeeding:
An excellent source of choline, which matters for fetal brain development. Cook the yolk through, because runny yolks carry a small salmonella risk that's not worth taking.
Children
Allergy:
Introduce egg early, from around six months, since delaying it doesn't prevent allergy and may make it more likely. Well-cooked, mashed with a little yogurt is the usual first form.
Older adults
Older adults:
Cheap, soft, easy to chew and a complete protein, which makes eggs one of the most useful foods for anyone losing muscle. The old blanket limit on eggs for cholesterol has largely been dropped.
Chapter 10 of 11
Through the Year
Spring:
Spring
Kuku sabzi at Nowruz, packed with the first herbs of the year. This is the egg dish that matters most.
Summer:
Summer
Light omelettes with tomato. Eggs suit hot weather better than heavy meat does.
Autumn:
Autumn
Back into baked kuku with potato and aubergine.
Winter:
Winter
The reliable protein when fresh produce thins out.
Chapter 11 of 11
Questions People Ask
How many eggs a week is sensible?
For most healthy adults, up to one a day has not been linked to heart disease in the large studies. If you have diabetes or existing heart disease, the picture is less settled and worth asking your doctor about.
Are brown eggs better than white?
No. Shell colour is the breed of hen and nothing else. What the hen ate changes the yolk; the shell doesn't tell you.
Is a runny yolk safe?
For a healthy adult, the risk is small. In pregnancy, for young children and for anyone with a weakened immune system, cook the yolk through.