The perfect boiled egg has a velvety yolk paired with a soft, solid white. Achieving this balance can be a challenge because the yolk cooks at a lower temperature than the white. Hard boiling an egg can yield a chalky yolk, while cooking low and slow can produce jelly-like, undercooked whites.

Scientists say they have cracked the case on how to cook the "perfect" boiled egg, but it takes 32 minutes. The Italian research team says the new method - which they call "periodic cooking" - is "optimal" for boiling both the yolk and white of a chicken egg.

Researchers claim that 'periodic cooking' is the optimal solution for evenly boiling an egg's yolk and white, allowing for optimal cooking of the egg in all its parts.