Deviled Eggs History: From Rome to Your Home - NC Egg Association (2024)

FAQs

Deviled Eggs History: From Rome to Your Home - NC Egg Association? ›

According to the North Carolina Egg Association, what we refer to now as deviled eggs, or “dressed eggs” (if you're at some sort of gathering that doesn't want to associate with the Devil) originated in ancient Rome. Fancy Romans served boiled eggs with lots of spicy seasonings as appetizers before the main meal.

For National Deviled Egg Day, we're taking it back to Ancient Rome…. where serving deviled eggs was often referred to as “ab ova usque ad mala.”

Some believe that deviled eggs may have originated in ancient Rome, where eggs were often boiled and served with a spicy mustard sauce. Others think that deviled eggs may have originated in medieval Europe, where they were considered a luxurious and decadent snack.

At church functions in parts of the Southern and Midwestern United States, the terms "stuffed eggs", "salad eggs", and "dressed eggs" occur instead, to avoid reference to the word "devil". For this reason, the term "angel eggs" is also occasionally used.

The stuffed egg concept began in ancient Rome, but the first known print reference to the term “deviled”, appeared in 1786. It described spicy or zesty food, something the Devil might like to dine on in Hell. Eggs fell into the deviled category because of mixing the yolks with mustard, pepper and other spices.

Disney Springs' Chef Art Smith's Homecoming Church Lady Deviled Eggs are a Southern-inspired delight, boasting creamy yolks blended with tangy mustard, mayo, and a sprinkle of paprika, offering a nostalgic and flavorful twist on a classic appetizer.

If we rewind time, we find deviled eggs in ancient Rome, where boiled eggs flavored with spicy sauces were so commonly served as an appetizer that a Roman saying, “ab ovo usque ad mala,” meaning “from egg to apples,” referred to the expected bookends of a meal.

To devil means to "combine a food with various hot or spicy seasonings such as red pepper, mustard, or Tabasco sauce, thereby creating a 'deviled' dish," according to the Food Lover's Companion, the definitive guide to all things food and cooking.

While proper cooking techniques are the first step to avoiding weeping, experimenting with certain deviled egg ingredients, unfortunately, can result in a watery, sloppy appearance on the plate. Ingredients with a high water content, like tomatoes or cucumbers, can help create this wet scenario.

Because deviled eggs are simply hard-cooked eggs in which the yolk is removed, mixed with mayonnaise and seasoning, and stuffed back into the halves of whites, they are easy to personalize. They are soft and creamy in texture, piquant in flavor, often a little sweet, and are a blank canvas when it comes to garnishing.

Can Catholics eat eggs? ›

For Catholics, eggs do not count as meat for Lent. For Orthodox Christians, eggs are off limits.

Traditionally, it was forbidden to eat meat and all animal products, including milk and eggs. This denial of more luxurious foods was meant as a symbolic abstinence to represent Jesus' 40-day fast.

Deviled eggs are a classic dish utilizing hard-boiled eggs. Cooked yolks are combined with creamy, flavorful ingredients like mayo and mustard to make a velvety filling for the egg white shells.

According to The History Channel, deviled eggs go all the way back to ancient Rome, where eggs were boiled, seasoned with spicy sauces, and then served at the beginning of meals. In the 13th century, stuffed eggs began to appear in the southern, Andalusian regions of Spain.

Shelf Life of Hard-Cooked and Deviled Eggs

According to the USDA, hard-cooked eggs of any kind—whether left in their shells or peeled—can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Deviled eggs are best consumed within 4 days, provided they've been refrigerated promptly and stored properly.

Far from evil, the word “deviled” is a culinary term that means “adding spices” — usually hot ones like cayenne pepper, Dijon mustard, or chopped chili peppers — to foods like ham, eggs, turkey, or even lobster. Underwood Deviled Ham Spread — a New England-born favorite since 1868.

With eggs, especially spicy and zesty eggs made with mustard, pepper, or other ingredients like paprika stuffed into the empty yolk cavity of half an egg, they are called “deviled,” though in some places they're also referred to as stuffed eggs, dressed eggs, or even Russian eggs.

In ancient Rome, eggs were usually served as appetizers. The best way to taste this dish is with honeyed wine (mulsum) and other ancient Roman starters, as a salad with garum and vinegar (oxygarum), cheese dressed with reduced must, and a few olives.

Breakfast in ancient Rome manly consisted of some bread, fruit, cheese, and some watered down wine to wash it down. Breakfast was much simpler if you were a slave or poor person. It would have been limited to bread, porridge only, or maybe a piece of fruit.

The Romans did not have tomatoes or potatoes, which became, and still are, the primary source of survival for European populations. Eggplant, chili peppers, corn, and turkey where also unknown since they arrived in Europe only after their discovery in America.