Mount Everest poses a problem for boiling eggs due to the air pressure and the change in boiling temperature with altitude. As you rise above sea level, the temperature needed for water to boil decreases by one degree Celsius for every 300 m increase in altitude. This means that at 8,849 m above sea level, where the pressure is about 1/3 of atmospheric pressure, water boils at only 68 degrees Celsius.
This temperature is not hot enough to completely cook an egg due to the different coagulation temperatures of the egg white and yolk proteins. The egg white needs to reach 80 degrees Celsius while the yolk needs to reach at least 70 degrees Celsius to firm up. Therefore, if you’re craving boiled eggs at the top of Mount Everest, using a pressure cooker is your only solution as it can increase the boiling point through increasing pressure inside the pot.
This practice influences thermodynamics and food and drink preparation in many parts of the world according to IFL Science. At sea level, water boils at 100 degrees Celsius but when pressure changes based on altitude, so does its boiling point. While this may not seem like a pressing issue, it highlights how important it is to understand the science behind our daily activities such as cooking and drinking.
