One-point-five billion is a fairly mind-boggling number but it’s how many eggs Utah egg producers harvest each year. What’s also unique is that the industry actually creates a surplus in the state – one of the very few agriculture products where we have enough extra to share with others. In fact, enough for every citizen to eat one egg per day every day, while still distributing tens of millions to other countries like China and Mexico.
So, with National Deviled Egg Day just around the corner on November 2, it seemed only fitting that the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food create a day honoring our state’s egg producers and their enormous contribution here locally and abroad.
Held today (November 1), the event included remarks by UDAF Commissioner Kerry Gibson and UDAF Assistant Egg and Poultry Program Manager Mitch Frost, along with one of Utah’s largest producers Oakdell Eggs and one of the smaller commercial producers, Clifford Family Farms. To tie-in the deviled egg element, three local chefs were invited to share their favorite recipes that are posted below.
Fast facts about Utah Eggs:
- 1.5 Billion produced each year
- $75 million industry in Utah
- 23 million eggs are shipped to China and 8 million eggs shipped to Mexico each year
Eggs for the event were provided generously by Oakdell Eggs and Fazio Eggs
Our special guest chefs and their recipes were:
Chef Scott Hamilton is a classically trained Chef, graduating from The International Culinary Institute at the Art Institute of Salt Lake. He has held positions from line cook to Executive Chef, and is now a proud stay at home father while working on his newest venture, High Desert Kitchen. Always pushing himself, he continually learns about new ingredients and techniques. Scott’s passionate, adventurous, and competitive spirit can be seen, felt, and tasted in his food. Recipes Here.
Chef Jenn Martello is a Utah born native who studied the culinary arts in Los Angeles, California at Le Cordon Bleu. She has worked as a Corporate Chef and a host to various online cooking “How to” videos. After starting a family and moving back to Utah, she began her business as a private chef. She excels at customized plated dinners and boutique-style catering. Her greatest rewards have been volunteering. She has taught at-risk teens the culinary arts and has recently volunteered at the Fisher house cooking for ill Veterans and their families. Recipes Here.
Oksana Honcharuk, is from Ukraine where her passion for cooking and baking began with helping her mom and learning from her. She grew up cooking and baking for friends and family and loved it so much that it became a profession later. With the recent move to United States, she has started DearSweets Home Bakery where she does pastry, deserts, and breads with the intent to follow her passion and share the dear sweets! Recipes Here.