Why is a deviled egg called a deviled egg?

The deviled egg gets its name from the culinary use of the term deviled in the 18th and 19th centuries to describe dishes that were heavily seasoned with hot spices and condiments, perhaps as an allusion to the Devil and the blistering heat of hell. The preparation of deviled eggs, which generally involves combining cooked egg yolks with condiments and spices to produce a piquant filling, reflects this historical use of the word deviled. In the United States today, any cold preparation of stuffed eggs is referred to as a deviled egg, regardless of whether it is spicy.

Deviled eggs are made by hard-boiling eggs, slicing them in half, and removing the yolks. The yolks are then mashed and mixed with such ingredients as mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, and spices to create a creamy filling. This mixture is spooned or piped into the egg white halves. The addition of spices gives deviled eggs their distinctive flavor, while the yolk filling provides their characteristic texture.

The practice of spicing up foods with bold flavors has been a part of culinary traditions across various cultures. The earliest precursors to the deviled egg date to ancient Rome, and the earliest documented stuffed egg recipe is from 13th-century Andalusia in southern Spain. Variants of the stuffed egg spread across Europe and by the 16th century were mentioned in British recipes. By the 19th century spicy stuffed eggs began appearing in American cookbooks, with the British term deviled adopted to describe the dish.