Eggs in the USA have become so expensive before Easter that Americans are painting potatoes
Kyiv • UNN
Egg prices in the USA have risen to a record high before Easter due to bird flu. Because of this, Americans have started looking for alternatives, painting potatoes and other products.
On the eve of Easter, chicken eggs in the US have become so expensive that Americans are already painting potatoes. Due to the high cost and supply shortages, people have found a creative approach to the tradition of Easter egg painting.
This is reported by The New York Times, writes UNN.
Chicken eggs, which are the "star" of the Easter basket, will cost significantly more in the US than in previous years. Despite the fact that egg prices are now falling, concerns about the cost remain. Therefore, many consumers are looking for alternatives.
Details
Videos about how to paint marshmallows, potatoes and even onions instead of eggs have begun to spread on social networks and news sites. Food blogger Lexi Harrison, who runs Crowded Kitchen with her mother since 2017, was inspired by the idea of chocolate "eggs" with peanut butter filling, which are sold in grocery stores. She developed and shared a "healthier recipe" for this treat.
Zhanka mixes peanut butter, almond flour and maple syrup, forms "eggs" from the mixture, which she then dips in melted white chocolate, tinted with spirulina and matcha powder. Her video, which demonstrates the process and the finished product - pastel blue "eggs", sprinkled with cocoa powder, has gained over 64 million views and 33,000 comments on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
For John Young, the fourth-generation head of Young's Jersey Dairy in Yellow Springs, Ohio, Easter means a lot of eggs. In the past, in the week before the holiday, the team of this family farm and amusement park bought approximately 10,000 eggs for the tradition of Easter egg hunting. Then they were baked in standing ovens, which is much faster than boiling, and cooled to be further painted by hand in large metal bowls.
However, in February, Young and his family, planning an event that is usually attended by more than 2,000 people, faced a problem. The situation on the egg market in the US forced them to weigh whether it would be possible to provide guests with Easter "hunting" entertainment at all.
In the end, it was decided that this year the "hunting" fun will look different. For the first time in 40 years of this tradition, festive eggs laid on the green grass of the farm will be made of plastic, with discount coupons inside for a free carousel ride.
The reaction to the idea was quite positive. I think people were generally afraid that we would cancel the event due to the price situation. So they were glad that we were still doing it all
Although, in general, for many in the US, painting eggs for Easter is not subject to discussion. And the costs are insignificant against the need to continue the tradition.
"The price is still relatively affordable," said Joe Ens, CEO of Signature Brands, the parent company of PAAS, an egg dye company that sells more than 10 million Easter kits each year.
A survey of 9,000 PAAS consumers found that 90% of consumers who celebrate Easter and usually paint eggs plan to do so again this year, despite the costs. And 54% of respondents said that they plan to never interrupt the tradition, no matter what it costs them.
Let us remind you
Egg prices in the US have increased 7 times in two years due to avian flu, which destroyed 104 million laying hens. The largest grocery chains are introducing restrictions on the purchase of eggs due to shortages.
