US vlogger eats soft-boiled eggs in Singapore, viewers say 'that'd give me explosive diarrhoea'

Many Singaporeans love a good soft-boiled egg (or two) for breakfast, together with crunchy kaya toast and a piping hot cup of kopi. 

But we often forget that in other countries, eating runny eggs isn't the norm. 

Some netizens were horrified after a US vlogger uploaded a video of himself trying soft-boiled eggs in Singapore for the first time. 

In a video uploaded to YouTube channel, United Cuisines, on Nov 27 last year, the man was seen ordering a classic local breakfast from Toast Box.

The same clip appeared on his TikTok page on Dec 12. 

"When ordering boiled eggs in Singapore, you might be in for a surprise, just like I was a while back when attempting to peel them for the very first time," the vlogger said. 

He shared that the eggs usually come with kaya toast and a cup of kopi. 

"Instead of thoroughly boiling the eggs, they pour hot water over them, take the pot off the stove and let the eggs cook for 10 minutes," he explained. 

"Since the water temperature drops, the eggs don't harden as much as we're used to, yielding a rather soupy consistency." 

[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@unitedcuisines/video/7310954142439148801[/embed]

When the vlogger cracked open the eggs, he was visibly surprised.  

But he continued to prepare the soft-boiled eggs like how Singaporeans would — with a sprinkle of white pepper and a dash of dark soya sauce. He even dunked his kaya toast in the eggs.

"I must say, it's a delightful, sweet and savoury twist on boring morning eggs, and a wonderful new way to enjoy them," he added. 

However, he did warn viewers to "be careful" when eating such eggs. 

In the comments section, several netizens expressed their disgust toward soft-boiled eggs. One called them "snotty eggs" while several described them as a "personal nightmare". 

One man even said that such eggs would give him "explosive diarrhoea". 

There were also some who pointed out the risk of contracting Salmonella, which is a type of bacteria that can be found dairy products, poultry, raw meat and eggs. 

According to the Singapore Food Agency, eggs sold here go through a set of stringent requirements before being marked as safe for raw consumption. 

For instance, imported eggs must come from approved sources in accredited countries and regions that meet Singapore’s food safety and animal health standards. Local egg farms must also have in place good farm management practices and strong biosecurity measures to prevent the risks of salmonella contamination. 

While many were mortified about the idea of consuming raw eggs, a number of people, including foreigners, who shared that they love their eggs done this way. 

One netizen said that when he previously visited Singapore, he tried soft-boiled eggs and "loved them". 

Another wondered why everyone thought that such eggs were "disgusting" and encouraged people to try it for themselves. 

One woman even said that she was "shocked" that so many people did not know about soft-boiled eggs. 

A netizen also shared their apprehension about soft-boiled eggs but found the dish delicious after giving it a try.

In March last year, Singapore-based YouTuber Ghib Ojisan also asked Japanese passers-by to try kaya toast and eggs. 

Many of them enjoyed the kaya toast by itself, but were confused when they were asked to dip the bread into soft-boiled eggs. 

"This one, cannot. Definitely, cannot. Please don't do this," one man had even said. 

Some of them acquired a taste for the combo after trying it, but others remained firm on their opinion that soft-boiled eggs do not go well with toast.

ALSO READ: Woman eggs her South Korean husband on to try classic Singaporean breakfast

melissateo@asiaone.com