The Surprising History Of Deviled Eggs

I need to preface this entire story with an admission. I freaking loathe deviled eggs. I think they are the nastiest food on the planet. I'll spare you the regrettable restroom incident at a poorly-ventilated community theatre that pretty much sealed their fate for me. But, you get the drift (and whiff).

Now that my own personal biases are out in the open, we can tackle this Deviled Egg Debate!

ARE DEVILED EGGS A THANKSGIVING FOOD?

Canva

My radio co-host Mary-Katherine Maddox and I agree on this. I don't think my immediate family ever served deviled eggs for Thanksgiving. Mary-Katherine's didn't either. In fact, she said this, "I always thought deviled eggs were an Easter food. Easter. Eggs. Get it?"

Yeah, got it! Even though I think they're culinary equivalent of Agent Orange, I totally understand that line of thinking. However, our listeners in western Kentucky and southern Indiana overwhelmingly believe that deviled eggs are a Thanksgiving food too.

For example, Jennifer Utterback-Scott said that they're "a Thanksgiving staple."

Anne Marie Gunn agrees. She claims, "Deviled eggs are THE Thanksgiving food."

Damika Gregory basically demands deviled eggs at her Thanksgiving gatherings. She says," No deviled eggs? No Damika!"

Get our free mobile app

But what do the experts say? The folks at Southern Living are #TeamThanksgiving. They asked the same question- Do Deviled Eggs Belong on Your Thanksgiving Table? Their answer, in short, is "There's no occasion that can't be made better with deviled eggs—including Thanksgiving."

THE HISTORY OF DEVILED EGGS

So, where exactly did deviled eggs come from? I can tell you this. They predate Thanksgiving by centuries. They actually date back to ancient Rome. BackThenHistory.com claims they were incredibly popular there and local cooks boiled eggs 'seasoned with sauces' and served them to the wealthy Romans. See, I hear that and I assume that the cooks were just trying to kill them off. But, apparently, the wealthy folk liked them.

The site goes on to say that deviled eggs seem to enjoy a resurgence in the 13th century. By the 15th century, they had spread throughout Europe.

And, well, given the history of the deviled egg here in the U.S., it's clear their popularity eventually made its way across the Atlantic and today they're a staple on many holiday tables.

As Ruth Henderson boldly claimed when she answered our poll, "Deviled eggs should be at every holiday gathering."

According to her fellow responses, 95% of people agree.