“Listen up, guys, the Springfield Police have told me that 91% of all traffic accidents are caused by you six guys. So the bad news is we gotta start having designated drivers. We’ll choose the same way they pick the Pope. Everybody reach in and draw a pickled egg. Whoever gets the black egg stays sober tonight.” ~ Moe Szyslak, ‘The Simpsons’
It’s almost a cliché to think about a jar of pickled eggs sitting behind a 1940s dive bar, nestled in the dark beside crusty bottles of Old Crow, a water-stained Blatz sign and the bartender’s smoldering stogie stub. Yet with any Great American Saloon Tradition in danger of extinction – at least in the case of pickled eggs – it is my solemn duty of the owner of Dive Bars to bring it back better than before.
The presence of pickled eggs in barrooms most likely started in 17th century France, where a national egg surplus – as well as a requirement that establishments serving liquor must also serve food – led to hard-boiling them as free bar snacks. It was a practice that eventually spread to bars worldwide and remained popular until the mid-20th century, when public health codes (especially in NYC) made it a violation to keep cooked eggs at the bar without refrigeration.
Pickled eggs became – no pun intended – one solution. A hard-boiled egg cured in vinegar or brine and sealed in a jar could last for months as a tasty and affordable bar snack. German saloon owners had first introduced pickled eggs – along with lagers, which also had a longer shelf life – to working-class America in the mid-1880s. And like all great immigrant fare, there’s also bonus food science: Eggs contain the amino acid cysteine, which is key to liver function (and why eggs are an important part of your hangover breakfast) while the pickling process can generate probiotic bacteria that aids digestion. Bottom line, pickled eggs are not only good bar food, they’re good for you, too. In keeping with our tradition of supporting locally sourced foods and spirits, we went looking for pickled eggs that were legitimately farm-to-taproom. We found them from Katie Bogdanffy, a third-generation poultry farmer whose Yellow Bell Farms in Dutchess County sells 100% fresh and additive-free chickens, bone broths, eggs and small batch pâtés at farmers markets throughout Westchester County and NYC. We met Katie at the market in Rhinebeck and were immediately knocked out by her tangy farm-pickled eggs, which are made with a brine of apple cider vinegar and local honey. In fact – and pickleback fans take note – this brine is so flavorful that we serve the eggs in a shot of it. It’s low-carb, low-calorie, high-protein and absolutely my favorite new bar snack. At Dive Bars, we’re proud to be a part of the reborn tradition of pickled eggs at dive bars. They pair great with whatever you’re drinking, especially craft beer. Stop by Broadway Dive and bite into this healthy, historic and delicious tavern classic.
As with many foods, this was originally a way to preserve the food so that it could be eaten months later. Pickled eggs have since become a favorite among many as a snack or hors d’œuvre popular in pubs, bars, and taverns, and around the world in places where beer is served.
Pickled eggs became – no pun intended – one solution. A hard-boiled egg cured in vinegar or brine and sealed in a jar could last for months as a tasty and affordable bar snack. German saloon owners had first introduced pickled eggs – along with lagers, which also had a longer shelf life – to working-class America in the mid-1880s. And like all great immigrant fare, there’s also bonus food science: Eggs contain the amino acid cysteine, which is key to liver function (and why eggs are an important part of your hangover breakfast) while the pickling process can generate probiotic bacteria that aids digestion. Bottom line, pickled eggs are not only good bar food, they’re good for you, too. In keeping with our tradition of supporting locally sourced foods and spirits, we went looking for pickled eggs that were legitimately farm-to-taproom. We found them from Katie Bogdanffy, a third-generation poultry farmer whose Yellow Bell Farms in Dutchess County sells 100% fresh and additive-free chickens, bone broths, eggs and small batch pâtés at farmers markets throughout Westchester County and NYC. We met Katie at the market in Rhinebeck and were immediately knocked out by her tangy farm-pickled eggs, which are made with a brine of apple cider vinegar and local honey. In fact – and pickleback fans take note – this brine is so flavorful that we serve the eggs in a shot of it. It’s low-carb, low-calorie, high-protein and absolutely my favorite new bar snack. At Dive Bars, we’re proud to be a part of the reborn tradition of pickled eggs at dive bars. They pair great with whatever you’re drinking, especially craft beer. Stop by Broadway Dive and bite into this healthy, historic and delicious tavern classic.
It’s almost a cliché to think about a jar of pickled eggs sitting behind a 1940s dive bar, nestled in the dark beside crusty bottles of Old Crow, a water-stained Blatz sign and the bartender’s smoldering stogie stub. Yet with any Great American Saloon Tradition in danger of extinction – at least in the case of pickled eggs – it is my solemn duty of the owner of Dive Bars to bring it back better than before.
“Listen up, guys, the Springfield Police have told me that 91% of all traffic accidents are caused by you six guys. So the bad news is we gotta start having designated drivers. We’ll choose the same way they pick the Pope. Everybody reach in and draw a pickled egg. Whoever gets the black egg stays sober tonight.” ~ Moe Szyslak, ‘The Simpsons’
The presence of pickled eggs in barrooms most likely started in 17th century France, where a national egg surplus – as well as a requirement that establishments serving liquor must also serve food – led to hard-boiling them as free bar snacks. It was a practice that eventually spread to bars worldwide and remained popular until the mid-20th century, when public health codes (especially in NYC) made it a violation to keep cooked eggs at the bar without refrigeration.
The pickled eggs that were popular bar snacks a few decades ago seem to have lost their prominence amidst other crispy and fried munchies.
In England too, it is believed that the culture of pickled eggs was quite popular in the 1830s, served in what was called the Pickled Egg House. However, today, you’d find it hard to locate bars and pubs offers hard-boiled pickled eggs as snacks, except for one or two odd dive bars in the US. Looking for more
This is followed by the simple logic that when you’re munching on something while taking a drink, it helps to mellow down the effect of the booze. Consuming eggs at the side adds a certain nutritional value to your bar snacking. The pickled eggs were a feasible snack for the bars since they had longer shelf-life even without refrigeration for a few hours and were suitable for bar-like conditions. In fact, having eggs alongside drinks was also believed to induce customers to order more alcohol.
The idea of this kind of food pairing is believed to have been inspired by the French who had a surplus amount of eggs in their country and made it a practice to give away hard-boiled eggs for free. This started featuring in bars because of the regulation that bars should be serving food along with liquor. The interesting bit is that there is some scientific connection to this tradition too. It is believed that the an amino acid called cysteine present in the eggs, aids the functioning of the liver and works well to prevent excessive hangovers.
Usually, when you head to a bar, you’d order some peanuts and fried chicken to go with your booze. However, that wasn’t the case in the 17th century US and UK. Eggs were a huge deal in pubs and bars during that time. In fact, pickled eggs were the go-to bar snack in the late 1830s in England. For the unversed, pickled eggs were hard-boiled eggs that were peeled and dipped in a vinegar marinade, with salt and a few spices. These were paired with cocktails and other boozy drinks by the patrons and enjoyed to the core. While it is surprising to note that eggs, which are actually a breakfast item in many parts of the world, were served at bar tops along with G & Ts.
The Forgotten Truth About Pickled Eggs
FAQ
Why do bars serve pickled eggs?
Why do people like pickled eggs?
Are pickled eggs popular in the UK?
Are pickled eggs healthy to eat?
Do pubs have pickled eggs?
Nowadays, many pubs offer more enticing snacks like soft pretzels with cheese or fried jalapeño poppers, but if you’re lucky, you just might encounter the humble pickled egg on your next night out. “Never been to a bar with a jar of pickled eggs?
Why do people eat pickled eggs?
As with many foods, this was originally a way to preserve the food so that it could be eaten months later. Pickled eggs have since become a favorite among many as a snack or hors d’œuvre popular in pubs, bars, and taverns, and around the world in places where beer is served.
Why did bars switch to pickled eggs?
There was also a third reason: “To make customers thirstier—and also to keep them from getting sloppily drunk,” Everett De Morier writes in The Invention of Everything. According to De Morier, bars eventually switched to pickled eggs due to health concerns.
Did pigs eat pickled eggs before Prohibition?
Before Prohibition was enacted, it wasn’t uncommon to see a jar of pickled eggs sitting next to a jar of pickled pigs’ feet on the bar. At some point in the hard-boiled egg’s evolution, deviled eggs and Scotch eggs also became a popular bar treat, according to Punch.