The online event began with a welcome speech, presented by Chairperson of the Centre for Agriculture and Food Research Assoc Prof Dr Wong Wey Lim. He said, “This Eggcited workshop is held in conjunction with the World Egg Day which fell on 8 October 2021. Most of us use eggs to make fantastic and delicious meals; however, I doubt many know about World Egg Day. Through this event, children will be able to explore more about eggs and their nutrition.”

It was followed by two talk sessions conducted by FSc Department of Agricultural and Food Science academics Dr Kwong Phek Jin and Sim Kheng Yuen. They presented “Fun Facts on eggs: Get to know QL products and egg production” and “Eggs and adolescence: an egg a day, healthy always” respectively.

In order to make the talk session more interesting, a cartoon titled “Tweenie’s Experience at Grandpa’s Farm” was played while Dr Jean Kwong explained egg production and the different types of eggs. She taught participants how to differentiate the table eggs and hatching eggs. The table eggs are meant for human consumption; it is produced by the hen and it does not undergo fertilisation through the rooster’s sperm. The hatching eggs, on the other hand, are developed into chicks and they are produced by fertilising the eggs using the rooster’s sperm.

She further explained, “The colour of the eggshell is determined by the breed of the chicken. In the market, eggs are categorised into different grades according to their sizes. Layer-hens lay their first eggs at the average age of four and a half months. In their first few circles of egg production, the egg sizes will be generally small. About six months later, the eggs laid by the same batches of hen will get bigger. Grade A eggs are bigger while grade D eggs are smaller.”

During Sim’s talk session, he highlighted the importance of having a balanced diet. He said, “The 2019 National Health & Morbidity Survey (NHMS) findings revealed that 29.8% of children between ages 5-17 in Malaysia were overweight or obese. This should raise our awareness as children are the leaders of Malaysia in the future. As parents, we need to make sure that our children receive balanced nutrition in their daily meals. If one wishes to stay healthy with great focus, sharp mindset and slim body, he or she has to take a real wholesome food.”

He added, “Kids should not miss the eggs in their meals because egg contains all essential nutrients and gives wholesome goodness. According to Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia, half of the portion of a meal should contain vegetables or fruits, the second quarter should be rice or grain while last quarter should be foods that contain protein.”

After the talk sessions, a few pre-recorded videos were played during the event that provided tips to make Dorayaki as well as techniques to do gardening with eggshells. The pre-recorded videos were prepared by FSc Department of Agricultural and Food Science lecturer Dr Lye Huey Shi and FSc Department of Agricultural and Food Science lecturer Dr Clement Wong Kiing Fook respectively.

Speaking of the history of dorayaki, Dr Lye said, “The current shape of Dorayaki was invented in 1914 by a cake shop namely Usagiya in the Euno district of Tokyo. The name of ‘dorayaki’ derives from the words ‘dora’, meaning ‘gong’ which reflecting the shape of the cake. Dora is a kind of Japanese instrument which similar to Chinese instrument Gong. While ‘yaki’ has the meaning of ‘cooked over direct heat’ (baked).”

On the other hand, Dr Clement Wong told the participants that eggshells not only could be used as a pot for plants, they could also be used as a natural fertiliser. While showing how to place the eggshells onto a plant, he said, “Powdered shells degrade better in soil compared to crushed shells, so you can sprinkle it directly onto the soil surface. For crushed shells, bury them in the soil to allow complete degradation before the plants can absorb all the goodies from the shells. The decomposed eggshells contain calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium, so they are beneficial for plant growth.”

The talk sessions saw good interaction between the speakers and the participants. The participants also got the chance to virtually visit the QL layer farm. The event saw the participation of four children homes, namely Rumah Hope, Good Samaritan Home, The Salvation Army and Shelter Home as well as the public. It was sponsored by QL Resources Berhad, Nature's Best Sdn Bhd and Hobby Hop In Sdn Bhd.