Fried egg

A fried egg is a versatile cooked dish made from one or more eggs. To prepare it, the eggs are removed from their shells and placed into a frying pan to cook. This simple method allows for many different textures and flavors. While many cultures traditionally eat fried eggs for breakfast or brunch, they are also served during lunch and other times of the day.

The process of frying an egg involves heat and often a cooking fat. In some regions, such as the United Kingdom and Ireland, cooks use high heat and hot fat, oil, or water. They may splash this hot liquid onto the top of the egg to baste it. This technique helps to cook the white part of the egg. In other styles, the egg is cooked on one side without being flipped. In the United States and Canada, these specific methods are given distinct names to describe the final result.

There are several distinct styles of fried eggs based on how the yolk is cooked. "Sunny-side up" eggs are fried on only one side and are never flipped. This leaves the yolk completely intact and soft on top. "Over-easy" eggs are flipped, but the yolk remains unbroken and runny. In Pennsylvania, these are called "dippy eggs" because people dip toast into the yolk. "Over-medium" eggs have whites cooked on both sides, but the yolks are soft rather than runny. Finally, "over-hard" eggs are fully cooked on both sides with a solid yolk.

Regional traditions have shaped how fried eggs are served across the globe. In Indonesia, a sunny-side up egg is called a "bull's eye egg." It is a popular topping for fried rice or mie goreng, which are fried noodles.

In the Philippines, eggs are a key part of "silog" meals. These combine garlic rice, known as sinangag, with an egg and various meats like beef tapa or Spam.

In Thailand, adding the term "khai dao," meaning "star egg," to a dish name indicates a fried egg is included as a topping.

Many countries use fried eggs to create hearty, culturally specific meals. In the Netherlands, the "uitsmijter" consists of two or three sunny-side up eggs served on bread.

This can be served with ham and cheese or bacon and cheese. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the "full English breakfast" is a large meal. It includes fried eggs alongside bacon, sausages, black pudding, grilled tomatoes, and baked beans.

In Cambodia, a fried egg often tops beef lok lak, a dish with spinach, onion, and tomato.

Latin American and Hispanic cultures also have deep connections to fried eggs. In Brazil and Portugal, a dish called "bife a cavalo," or "horse-riding steak," features a runny egg over steak.

In Mexico, "huevos rancheros" are served over corn tortillas with spicy salsa. Other Mexican variations include "huevos motuleños" in the Yucatán or eggs mixed with tomatoes and chilies. In Ecuador, "llapingachos" features a sunny-side up egg served over cheesy mashed potatoes and sausage.

Fried eggs also appear in unique culinary preparations and historical contexts. One interesting method is "egg in the basket," also called "toad in the hole" in the United States. This involves cutting a hole in a slice of bread and frying the egg inside the center. In Vietnam, fried eggs are often served over white rice with oyster or hoisin sauce. Even in literature and history, the egg is noted. The poet Nâzım Hikmet mentioned eating fried eggs almost every day while staying with a friend in Spain. This shows how a simple food can become a constant part of daily life across the world.