Easter means eggs. With its (naturally genius and highly efficient)
hard outer shell, the egg is the perfect food to represent Jesus Christ
emerging from his rock tomb and rising from the dead. But well before
Christians laid claim to the Easter egg and the Easter Bunny started
delivering chocolate ones to children, the egg was a natural symbol of
spring, fertility, and renewal. (Who wouldn’t be awed by the sight of a
tiny bird emerging from a seemingly inanimate object?) Ancient Persians
used to give each other eggs on the vernal equinox to celebrate Nowruz,
which marks the first day of spring and a new year. The egg spans all
sorts of cultures. My friend and favorite Jew, Avi, tells me that in
some Jewish traditions, when someone dies, family members fast. After
they visit the grave site, the first food they eat is an egg, which
symbolizes the cycle of life.
I don’t mean to sound like one of those “incredible, edible egg”
commercials, but the egg (and all its meanings) is pretty
awesome—whether raw, cooked, or semicooked; whether it comes from
a hen, a duck, or a quail. This year, I’m going to celebrate spring
with quail eggs—those tiny, lovely cream shells with brown
speckles. They’re especially delicious hard-boiled and peeled, then
dipped in just a bit of fancy salt. 
Quail eggs (10 for $1.89) are available at Uwajimaya, 600 Fifth
Ave S, 624-6248.
