Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

The hottest contraband from Mexico right now may surprise you

Cracking the case: Why eggs are the new darling of the black market

In a frustrating, yet somehow wholesome turn of events, eggs have been added as the newest addition to the long list of illicit items being smuggled over the Mexican/U.S. border.

Between November 1 and January 17, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents reported over 2,000 instances of attempted egg smuggling over the border, according to the New York Times. In the same 11-week period the year before, only 460 similar instances were reported.

Recommended Videos

The surge in this unusual crime is undoubtedly due to the increasing cost of eggs in the states. The guilty party? The avian flu, still wreaking fresh havoc on all birdkind as the days tick by without any real solution. From turkey shortages this past Thanksgiving to what’s now apparently turning into eggs being sold shadily in little plastic baggies, the effects of this gnarly virus are extraordinary.

Bowl of Eggs
shotsoflouis / Shutterstock

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, avian influenza has affected more than 58 million birds in both commercial and backyard flocks. By the end of last year, the illness had killed more than 43 million egg-laying hens. Due to the egg shortage this continues to create, obviously, their cost has skyrocketed.

In Mexico, however, the price of a kilogram of eggs – which equates to more than a dozen jumbo eggs in American terms – is currently running between 31 and 50 pesos, or $1.59 to $2.79 in U.S. dollars. Compare that to our average of $7.37 per dozen in California, and a new career in the underground egg game starts to look interesting.

While it has been illegal to bring eggs and uncooked poultry into the U.S. from Mexico since 2012, most instances until now were simply cases of ignorance and a few discarded eggs as a consequence. Now, though, the powers that be are cracking down.

On January 17, San Diego Director of Field Operations, Sidney Aki, tweeted, “The San Diego Field Office has recently noticed an increase in the number of eggs intercepted at our ports of entry. As a reminder, uncooked eggs are prohibited entry from Mexico into the U.S. Failure to declare agriculture items can result in penalties of up to $10,000.” For ten thousand bucks, you can buy at least a couple of weeks’ worth of eggs, so maybe it’s best not to risk it.

Either way, no matter how you get your eggs home this week, we recommend storing them in the refrigerator…removed of all duct tape and white, powdery residue.

Topics
Lindsay Parrill
Lindsay is a graduate of California Culinary Academy, Le Cordon Bleu, San Francisco, from where she holds a degree in…
There’s a scientific reason you may actually want to have chilled red wine
It's okay to admit we were wrong
Chilled red wine glass

It's hard to unlearn something that we've been taught for years. The very notion of chilled red wine is something that can make even the least of the wine snobs among us cringe. Most of us remember learning at one time or another the general rule that white wines are to be served chilled while red wines are not. Absolutely not. We believed that under no circumstances should red wines ever, ever be served chilled. Or, god forbid, topped with an ice cube (shudder). But part of evolving and growing as a human being is learning new information and admitting that we may have been mistaken once or twice along the way. We're sorry to say - this is one of those times.
Why should some red wines be chilled?

It's very important to know that not all red wines should be chilled, so we weren't completely wrong. Many - if not most - red wines contain tannins, which are not ideal when chilled. Tannins refer to the group of chemical compounds found in the skins of wine grapes that give the wine a distinct pucker or astringency. Usually, only red wines are processed with grape skins, so tannins are only found in red wine. This is why we serve white wine cold without batting an eyelash - no tannins. Fuller-bodied red wines tend to have high tannins, which become unpleasantly bitter when chilled.

Read more
3 best sesame oil substitutes: What you should cook with
sesame

If you head to the oil and condiments aisle at the grocery store, you'll be faced with several options of vegetable oils. Commonly used oils are likely to jump out at you, such as canola oil, sunflower oil, and safflower oil. But several other types of vegetable oils may be lurking on the grocery store shelves that you might not be acquainted with yet, each of which has its properties.

Sesame oil is a vegetable oil made from sesame seeds and is known for its nutty and slightly sweet taste. However, many other oils can serve as great substitutes for sesame oil if you're in a pinch. Below, discover the 3 best substitutes for sesame oil to make sure your recipes still come out delicious.
Why you may need to substitute sesame oil

Read more
How to cook ribs on the grill: A guide to doing it just right
To poach, or not to poach?
Babyback ribs cooking on a grill

Ribs are one of those dishes that are taken very, very seriously by those who love to cook them. Passionate arguments can break out at any cookout regarding proper cook time, smoking methods, whether to sauce or not, and the best ingredients for a mind-blowing spice rub.

Now, we're not here to debate any of the above hot issues. Not today, at least. Today, we're covering the basics of how to cook ribs on the grill.
Choosing the right ribs

Read more