It used to be all about the egg-white omelet. High in protein, low in fat was the perfect recipe for the late-20th century American dieter. But sometime in the last 20 years, the egg yolk came back into fashion, as both a source of healthy fat and, as writer Marian Bull put it in Eater, an unlikely fetish object. And, the more orange the yolk, the better. 

“People are paying for the simulacrum of what we think of now as very natural, very healthy foods,” Bull said. “But at the end of the day, they’re sort of fake and can look a little terrifying when brought to the most dramatic extent.” 

In this era of skyrocketing egg prices, why are we willing to pay so much for Instagram-worthy orange-yolked eggs? 

“Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal talked to Marian Bull about her article, titled “Orange Is the New Yolk.” Below is an edited transcript of their conversation. 

Kai Ryssdal: Where did all of this come from — the whole perfect yolk, orange yolk thing? 

Marian Bull: Well, for me, they appeared in my kitchen, and I became very grossed out and concerned and curious. My boyfriend, about a year and a half ago, brought a dozen Happy Egg Co. eggs home from the grocery store. And I had the strange experience of cooking one of those eggs and one egg from my [community-supported agriculture] at the same time. The CSA egg had a yolk with a nice, gentle yellow color, and the Happy Egg Co. egg had this orange yolk that I can only describe as something that looked medically dangerous. And I was just so curious as to how we got to this place that people are paying for the simulacrum of what we think of now as very natural, very healthy foods, but at the end of the day, are sort of fake and can look a little terrifying when brought to the most dramatic extent. 

Ryssdal: So, not to take all the joy out of this and you know, horn the “Marketplace” angle into this story, but fundamentally, this is a marketing and branding story. 

Bull: Oh, absolutely. I mean, I think that the most interesting thing about this story is how this cycle of demand has been created, right? Because let’s say in the aughts, you have two things happening: You have the locavore, farm-to-table movement, and also the Great Recession happens. So you have a number of people who have a growing interest in where their food is coming from and how it’s produced. And you also have people who are interested in using cheaper products. And also around this time we have the ramen boom. Particularly in New York and a lot of cities in the U.S., there are these very popular, very successful ramen restaurants that are opening up that are serving really gently cooked, soft-yolked eggs on top of their noodles. So the egg is now appearing as a “hen egg” or a “farm egg” on fancy restaurant menus. 

Ryssdal: Aren’t all eggs “hen eggs”?

Bull: Exactly, yes, but that’s how they’re being marketed already. 

Ryssdal: Right. 

Bull: So, as our visual culture has become more and more intense, more people are posting photos on Instagram, and also since the pandemic more people are interested in cooking at home. I think there’s become this obsession with the orange yolk as the signifier of luxury and, and almost purity, really. 

Ryssdal: Right, the Instagramization of food is not to be underestimated here, but let me ask you this: Do you know off the top of your head how much your boyfriend paid for those Happy Egg Co. eggs? 

Bull: I would guess it would be between 8 and 10 dollars. 

Ryssdal: Oh, man, that’s a lot of money for a dozen eggs — I don’t know, was it a dozen? 

Bull: It was a dozen, yeah.

Ryssdal: So what do we do with this? Because you know, there are people that are going to be listening to this saying, “This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” and there are going to be people who are listening to this saying, “Yes, no, absolutely, we want these animals to be well-treated, and if we can afford it, it’s worth it to have this food.” Where do we come down? I mean, you’re the expert. 

Bull: Well, I think it depends on what you’re looking for. I mean, there are all of these different ways that these larger corporations are creating an orange egg. Most of it is through feeding the hens things like marigolds and turmeric and red peppers, which is, like, not bad, right? There’s nothing unsafe about that. 

Ryssdal: I know, but come on. Really? 

Bull: Right. Well, I just mean, I think it’s fine for people to want an orange yolk. It’s nice to have food that looks good, right? That makes us think that it’s more delicious and it makes us get excited about cooking, which I think is wonderful. But I think it’s important for people to know what they’re getting.

Ryssdal: I don’t think that I’ve asked you yet how these eggs taste? Do they taste better? 

Bull: I don’t think that there is a huge difference between the orange-yolked eggs you’re getting at the store and the not-orange-yolked eggs you’re getting at the store. Now, you have to understand that one of the biggest factors that affects egg flavor is how long it’s been stored and refrigerated for, so a fresher egg is going to be theoretically a more delicious egg. But I think that the Happy Egg Co. egg tastes like a nice egg. I mean, I think most people at the end of the day are not going to taste a significant difference between that and a cage-free, free-range certified-humane egg that they pay $1 less for that has a yellow yolk in it.