The egg is certainly one of the most prominent items associated with Easter. We find Easter egg candy in all shapes and sizes, dyed or plastic eggs for the hunt, and then there is the deviled egg, a dish that’s found on many tables on Easter. With international roots and served as a side dish or as an hors d’oeuvres, the deviled egg has become as American as hot dogs and apple pie.

The term “deviled” first appeared in print in 1786 and was used to describe highly seasoned fried or boiled dishes. By the 1800s the term “deviled” evolved and was used as a culinary term to describe fiery hot spicy dishes or condiments. During this period in England the word “deviled” got attached to this type of egg dish. Some people and some churches, not wanting to use the word “devil,” call them “stuffed eggs,” “mimosa eggs,” “salad eggs,” “angel eggs” or “dressed eggs.”

The ancient Romans actually began the deviled egg tradition although it has changed much over the centuries. Thousands of years ago they boiled eggs, then slathered them with spicy sauces of several types. They were served as an appetizer only at homes of the wealthy. 

By the 1200s stuffed eggs made an appearance in Andalusia, now Spain, in a cookbook calling for mashed, boiled egg yolks mixed with cilantro, coriander, onion juice, pepper and fermented barley or fish sauce. The mixture was stuffed into two halves of a hollowed-out boiled egg white and the two stuffed halves were put back together and held in place with a stick. By the 1400s different varieties of stuffed eggs were popular all over Europe.  

The precursor to the modern deviled egg began to appear in American cookbooks in the mid-1800s, copying the term “deviled” from the British. The original deviled eggs in this country were very spicy. The first use of mayonnaise in deviled eggs was in the 1896 Boston Cooking School Cookbook but this ingredient did not become part of the “classic” American deviled egg until the 1940s. Following World War II, deviled eggs were a part of every picnic and a special treat at every party across this land.

The recipe for the “classic” American deviled egg has remained virtually unchanged since the 1940s: hard-boiled eggs shelled and halved; each half filled with a scoop of the hard-boiled yolk mixed with ingredients such as mayonnaise, mustard and pickle relish, and served cold. Some cooks have made distinct variations but, however you like your deviled eggs, it is probably the way your family has made the dish since the 1940s. In a way, deviled eggs can tell you something about your family history.

Note: Information on deviled eggs was taken from “The Sinfully Delicious History of Deviled Eggs,” “The Enduring Popularity of Deviled Eggs,” “The History of Deviled Eggs–Why Do We call Them That?” and “Food History: Deviled Eggs.”