Deviled eggs are a ubiquitous appetizer, appearing at everything from holiday gatherings to casual picnics. The simple combination of a hard-boiled egg white cradling a creamy, seasoned yolk filling is instantly recognizable. Despite the dish’s widespread appeal, the name often sparks curiosity about why this food carries such a dramatic moniker. The answer lies in a specific culinary tradition that predates the modern recipe.
The Culinary Definition of Deviled
The term “deviled” is a culinary adjective that became popular in the 18th century to describe a particular style of food preparation. It refers to any dish that is highly seasoned, piquant, or zesty, typically achieved through the liberal use of hot spices and condiments. This preparation method was thought to be an allusion to the intense heat and fire traditionally associated with the underworld. To “devil” a food meant combining it with fiery ingredients like cayenne pepper, mustard, or paprika. While modern deviled eggs are often mild, the original intent of the name was to signal a dish that had been aggressively spiced.
The Historical Timeline of the Name
The practice of stuffing eggs is far older than the “deviled” name, with precursors dating back to ancient Rome, where seasoned eggs were served as appetizers. The earliest documented recipe for a stuffed egg appeared in a 13th-century Andalusian cookbook. This medieval recipe involved mixing the cooked yolks with ingredients like cilantro, pepper, and onion juice before stuffing the mixture back into the egg whites.
The term “deviled” did not enter the culinary lexicon until much later, with its first known print reference appearing in 1786 in Great Britain. Initially, the term was applied to various highly seasoned dishes, such as deviled kidneys or deviled bones.
The adjective was applied to eggs in the 19th century when the yolk mixture began to include piquant additions like mustard and black pepper. The modern preparation, using mayonnaise to bind the ground yolks into a creamy paste, was cemented in American cookbooks by the late 1800s. This combination of spicy seasoning and the creamy binder solidified the “deviled” name.
The Modern Name Alternatives
Today, the dish is sometimes referred to by alternative names, such as “stuffed eggs,” “dressed eggs,” or “salad eggs.” This practice is particularly common in parts of the Southern and Midwestern United States.
The primary motivation for using these alternatives is to avoid the word “devil” in certain social or religious contexts. For instance, at church potlucks or holiday gatherings, the name “deviled” is occasionally deemed inappropriate, leading to the adoption of more neutral terminology.
The name “angel eggs” is also used occasionally as a direct, lighthearted contrast to the traditional name. These variations allow the popular appetizer to be served without the perceived negative connotation of the original 18th-century culinary term.