Dunchon-dong egg shop for egg tortilla wraps: Fresh Farmer

Eggs are an ingredient that almost never runs out in my fridge. I make simple fried eggs in the morning, and I use them often for fried rice, gimbap (seaweed rice roll), or tortilla wraps too, so I go through more of them in a week than you'd think.

Since it's something I eat every day, lately I've started checking not just the price but also what kind of environment the eggs were produced in. This time I tried egg code 1 and egg code 2 fertilized eggs myself at Fresh Farmer Olympic Park Foreon Direct Store, near Dunchon-dong Station in Olympic Park Foreon.

Where to buy fresh fertilized eggs near Dunchon-dong Station

Fresh Farmer runs its own farms directly, managing everything from production to sales. It's carried in 25 department store branches nationwide, and I heard Michelin and fine dining restaurants also use Fresh Farmer eggs.

What I liked most was how uncomplicated the distribution process is. Eggs go straight from the farm to department stores and direct stores, so you get them in a fresh state. The Olympic Park Foreon store is also a company-operated direct store, and instead of stockpiling large quantities, it restocks in small batches. Every Tuesday and Thursday after 6 PM, they even bring in eggs laid that same day, so keep that timing in mind if you're after the freshest eggs.

Egg code 1 vs egg code 2: what's the difference?

This time I tried free-range fertilized eggs (egg code 1) and animal welfare fertilized eggs (egg code 2). The last digit of the egg code indicates the environment the hens were raised in. Code 1 means free-range hens that can roam outdoors, while code 2 means hens raised cage-free but moving freely inside a barn.

So egg codes 1 and 2 aren't really a ranking of taste or nutrition — they're more of a reference point for people who care about the hens' living conditions when choosing eggs. I tried both side by side, and honestly, I couldn't tell a clear difference in taste or quality. What was certain, though, was that both felt genuinely fresh.

Fresh Farmer yolks: firm and plump right out of the shell

You can tell a lot about freshness just by cracking an egg open, and with Fresh Farmer's fertilized eggs, the yolk didn't spread out — it stayed round and stood up nicely. It was genuinely plump.

There was a slight difference in color. The animal welfare egg's yolk leaned a bit more orange, while the free-range egg's yolk was a relatively bright lemon color. The colors differed, but I didn't notice a big difference in taste when I ate them. What stuck with me more was that both had clean, fresh-looking yolks and whites.

Cooking Fresh Farmer eggs as fried eggs and a jidan tortilla wrap

First I made the simplest thing — a fried egg. Nothing shows off an egg's condition as easily as a fried egg. I ate it on top of rice, and the yolk stayed plump and there was almost none of that typical eggy smell, which I liked.

Good eggs don't have to mean an elaborate dish — I actually liked that even a plain fried egg like this tasted clean and satisfying.

I also made jidan (thin egg sheets) and used them in a tortilla wrap. Even fried thin, the egg came out a clean, pale color, and even mixed in with other vegetables and ingredients, that eggy smell didn't stand out.

After making everything from fried eggs to jidan, I think I understand a little better why people say fresh eggs are worth seeking out.

Eggs aren't something you buy once and eat once or twice on special occasions — you reach for them way more often than you'd expect. It was pretty satisfying to pick out something I liked, even for an everyday ingredient like this.

Is Son Yeon-jae really the face of Fresh Farmer?

One more thing that caught my eye at the store was that Fresh Farmer's brand model is Son Yeon-jae. I understand it started with her being spotted eating Fresh Farmer eggs, which then led to her becoming the brand model — and since she's also a mom, it fits well with the image of someone who's mindful about everyday ingredients.

I also feel like I want to be a little more careful choosing everyday ingredients like eggs, so that made me pay extra attention. Trying egg code 1 and 2 side by side, the biggest satisfaction wasn't a huge taste difference — it was that both were genuinely fresh.

The yolks were plump and there was almost no fishy taste, so they were great fried, and easy to use for jidan or other dishes too.

If you're near Dunchon-dong Station or Olympic Park Foreon and looking for fresh fertilized eggs, it's worth stopping by the Fresh Farmer direct store. Same-day laid eggs come in every Tuesday and Thursday after 6 PM, so if your household eats eggs as often as mine does, try timing your visit around then.