EGGSACTLY ENOUGH TRIVIA FOR EASTER.

Byline: Jennifer Lowe Orange County Register

In honor of Easter, here's some eggsciting egg trivia from ``The Great Food Almanac'' by Irena Chalmers (Collins; $25), the California Egg Commission and the makers of Paas egg-coloring kits:

The cost of a 2-ounce egg is about 11 cents. Those using egg substitutes know they pay more; a 1-egg portion of a substitute costs 24 cents to 36 cents.

Egg-eating records: 14 hard-cooked eggs in 58 seconds; 32 soft-boiled eggs in 78 seconds; 13 raw eggs in 2.2 seconds.

One large egg white weighs 1 ounce.

Been called an ``egghead'' lately? Say thank you. The term dates from the 1950s and refers to intellectuals; it probably comes from ``highbrow'' - or having an egg-shaped forehead.

You've always wondered how far an egg can be thrown without breaking, yes? The Guinness Book of World Records lists 317 feet, 10 inches as the record.

Peeling a few hard-cooked eggs this time of year is always sort of fun. How about peeling 1,050? That's the number two blind men shelled during their 7 1/4 hour shift at a hotel restaurant.

America's per capita consumption of eggs is about 250 a year.

There are 230 million laying hens in the United States, each producing about 300 eggs annually. In California, there are 26 million chickens laying eggs, nearly one chicken for every person.

Persians first began using colored eggs to celebrate spring in 3000 B.C.

Dolly Madison held the first Easter egg-rolling contest on the White House lawn in 1810.

Easter egg decorating was brought to U.S. shores by Pennsylvania Dutch settlers in the early 1700s.

Why eggs, eggsactly? Easter - the day when U.S. churches are more packed than any other day - has religious and secular traditions. For Christians, it's a joyful day celebrating Christ's resurrection. For Christians and non-Christians alike - eggspecially for children - there are Easter eggs. Colored Easter eggs. Easter-egg hunts (again and again, until it gets dark, as is the case in my household).

According to ``The American Book of Days,'' compiled by Jane M. Hatch, the egg was an ancient symbol of life and was deemed suitable for celebrating the Resurrection.

In some countries, too, eggs were among the foods not allowed during Lent, so they were relished on Easter.

And as for the Easter Bunny laying the eggs, the idea probably stems from the idea that the fertility of the rabbit is a symbol of life.

Brown or white? The content is the same; what's different is the hen that laid the egg. Brown eggs are laid by hens slightly bigger than the white Leghorn hens that lay white eggs, writes Chalmers in ``The Great Food Almanac.'' Because they're bigger, they eat more, so brown eggs cost slightly more.

Egg safety information: Contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture meat and poultry hot line with any questions, [phone].