Yellowness of egg yolk

Question

Related question: Why are Italian eggs so yellow?

Occasionally I get served a fried / poached egg with a deep yellow/orange yolk. I find it extremely appetising and visually attractive.

Sometimes eggs have very weakly coloured yolks, which is less appealing -- but I couldn't swear that the flavour is affected.

• Is there a correlation between the colour of a yolk and its flavour?
• When shopping, how can I increase my chances of getting a richly coloured yolk?
  • Does free-range / barn / battery make a difference?
  • Is there a correlation between price and yolk colour?
• Do egg producers and/or chefs use dirty tricks to effect a yellow yolk? Dye? Food additives?

I'm in the UK, but please feel free to give answers for other parts of the world. If you suspect they're not universal, make sure you point out your location.

Answer

The color of the yolk is based on the chicken's diet. I eat vegetarian fed eggs from the grocery store and they have deep yellow yolks. If I go back to buying standard white eggs its a bit disconcerting because they have very pale yolks.

In the fall is when the eggs are the orangest for pasture raised eggs, again something about what is available to feed. The only way I can find these eggs is to get them from the farmers market or from a coworker who raises hens themselves.

Check more discussion of this question.