The History of Hard-Boiled Eggs

Hard-boiled eggs are among the most widely eaten foods out there and they are a lot more ancient than you might think. According to Dr. Karen Carr of Portland State University, hard-boiled eggs were created shortly after pottery was invented around 5,000 BC. Previously, humans had consumed ash-roasted eggs, which were cooked in the ashes of fires and were likely eaten when they reached a state very similar to modern hard-boiled eggs. After the invention of pottery, humans finally had a vessel to boil eggs in. Hard-boiled eggs were soon being eaten in ancient Rome and ancient Egypt. They were also popular in Europe during the Middle Ages and the Italian Renaissance. King Louis XV was even rumored to eat hard-boiled eggs every Sunday! Interestingly, in times past, hard-boiled eggs were eaten similarly to how we use them today: mixed into salads, dressed with sauces, or chopped up and used as a garnish for other dishes. Today, of course, hard-boiled eggs continue to be incredibly popular all around the world, and are especially common in the United States.