This Retro Appetizer Has Been Lighting Up Parties Since The '50s

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There's something so nostalgic about foods from the past. And while exciting trends like a 1950s food revival can bring some beloved classics back to life (like forgotten desserts your grandparents ate), there are also those tried and true ones that never really left. Take deviled eggs, for example. This party appetizer and backyard barbecue favorite really took off in popularity around the 1930s, with that popularity reaching a zenith in the '50s and '60s. In fact, they became so standard that special deviled egg platters were even gifted to new brides in the 1940s South. 

While they can technically be traced back all the way to ancient Rome, deviled eggs as we know them (aka with a creamy filling that includes mayo) didn't emerge until about 1896. This is when Fannie Farmer's "Boston Cooking-School Cookbook" was published with a recipe that called for it. Fast-forward to the popularity of cocktail parties in the '50s, and it was hard not to find an appetizer spread that included these spiced stuffed eggs. And we're not shocked by this at all. Not only are they sized perfectly to grab and pop in your mouth between sips of your drink, but they can be made in advance and stored in the fridge until you're ready to serve them — and they're served cold, which is another advantage for a busy party.

Over the years, deviled eggs have gone through some makeovers. While the classic version of mashed yolks with some mayo and spices is still beloved, there are other recipes today that include more elevated ingredients. For example, you may find versions with bacon crumbled on top, or deviled eggs sprinkled with Old Bay seasoning for a bit of a kick. You'll see some that include ketchup or mustard, and others that swap out the mayo for some tangy sour cream. Sprinkle on some furikake and use Kewpie mayo for a Japanese touch — or crisp up some pancetta for a one-two-punch of richness and crunch.

And it's not only homemade ones that are getting the star treatment. In fact, fancy deviled eggs have been popping up in restaurants all over the map in recent years. This is all thanks to chefs becoming re-obsessed with them and the endless ways they can upgrade them. NR Restaurant in New York, for example, offers a version that's topped with sea urchin, caviar, and Japanese mustard, while over in Nashville, you can get smoked deviled eggs topped with pepper remoulade and pickled veg at The Southern Steak & Oyster. If you're in the mood for yellowfin tuna deviled eggs, those exist, too. So, thank you to the 1950s era for bringing us one of our favorite appetizers that seemingly has no end in sight.