The expression, “it’s so hot you can fry an egg on the sidewalk” seems intended as hyperbole, but some people take it as a challenge — or maybe they’re just trying to expand their culinary skills.
The notion of frying an egg on the sidewalk is so popular that there’s a National Fry an Egg on the Sidewalk Day on July 4. It’s usually hot, and people are already out doing peculiar things, such as setting off fireworks and competing to see who can eat the most hot dogs.
Every July 4, the town of Oatman, Arizona, sponsors a solar egg frying contest, though Oatman’s rules are relaxed — they don’t require sidewalks, and they allow mirrors and magnifying glasses.
The problem for would-be sidewalk chefs isn’t so much the temperature, but the cooking surface. Sidewalks are typically made of concrete, and concrete is a poor conductor of heat. Even ...
