What does your egg preference say about you?

My husband and I were eating with friends the other day at a restaurant that has a popular weekly brunch menu. As we were placing our orders, one of my friends asked for a poached egg. The waitress looked at him quizzically, and said “That’s the same as over easy, right?” After a quick check with the kitchen, we learned that the restaurant did serve poached eggs. My friend opted for over medium, and after the waitress left, we had a lively discussion restaurants that specialize in brunch but don’t serve poached eggs, which morphed into a broader discussion about egg preferences. 

According to a study conducted in the UK a few years ago, the type of egg you prefer can predict something about your personality. Researchers found “a statistical relationship between a person’s character, lifestyle and social class and whether they like their eggs boiled, fried, scrambled or as an omelette.” 

More women than men prefer poached eggs, and those who like their eggs this way tend to be extroverts and enjoy “upbeat” music. Men showed a great inclination to prefer fried eggs than did women. Fried egg eaters were generally open to new experiences and had a higher sex drive, according to the study. The favorite egg cooking method for people aged 20 to 39 was scrambled. Those who prefer scrambled eggs “were more likely to be less neurotic but also more guarded and less open” than others. 

There’s also an association between a person’s profession and his or her egg preferences. Managerial, professional, or clerical jobs were associated with scrambled eggs, while manual labor and unemployment were linked with fried eggs. Even astrological signs showed a correlation with certain types of egg. those born under Aquarius, Leo and Taurus are more likely to choose poached eggs; star signs Cancer, Capricorn and Libra are more often fried egg eaters, and Aries, Gemini, Pisces, Sagittarius, Scorpio and Virgo were all more likely to prefer scrambled. The article didn’t go into the strength of these associations, but as a woman who is an Aquarius and prefers poached eggs, they seem to be accurate! What is your favorite way to enjoy eggs?

Photos, clockwise from top left: How to poach an egg, Smitten Kitchen-style by Deb Perelman, How to make the perfect fried eggs from Food52, Shirred eggs Florentine for my mom by Michael Ruhlman, and How to hard-boil an egg from The Kitchn