Most people are familiar with scrambling, poaching, frying, and boiling eggs. But those aren’t your only options. The Chinese make their eggs into a soup, while the French whip their eggs into meringues for dessert. In India, eggs are served in curry. Read on to find out how different countries around the world use their eggs. So next time you pull an egg out of your fridge, prepare it in a way you’ve never tried before. Chicken eggs are widely used in many types of dishes, both sweet and savoury, including many baked goods. Some of the most common preparation methods include scrambled, fried, hard-boiled, soft-boiled, omelettes and pickled. They can also be eaten raw, though this is not recommended for people who may be especially susceptible to salmonellosis, such as the elderly, the infirm, or pregnant women. In addition, the protein in raw eggs is only 51 percent bioavailable, whereas that of a cooked egg is nearer 91 percent bio-available, meaning the protein of cooked eggs is nearly twice as absorbable as the protein from raw eggs. As an ingredient, egg yolks are an important emulsifier in the kitchen, and are also used as a thickener in custards. The albumen, or egg white, contains protein, but little or no fat, and can be used in cooking separately from the yolk. The proteins in egg white allow it to form foams and aerated dishes.