The Ultimate Egg-Ordering Guide, From Sunny Side Up To Soft Boiled

Everyone has a food résumé. On it are the defining, personal preferences that make every individual unique. Your food résumé explains why you always pluck the olives off of your salad and give them to your mother (because you hate olives and she loves them) and why you are the benefactor of your girlfriend’s pickles (she can’t stand ‘em).

There are particular topics that should appear on every food résumé. For example, the way you make your coffee should be something so unwavering you could get the order tattooed on your body without any regrets. You should own a precise technique for roasting a marshmallow over a campfire. And, very important, you should be certain of how you take your eggs in the morning — regardless of whether it’s while nursing a hangover at the diner or while enjoying a home-cooked meal in your kitchen.

The thing is, there are so many ways to cook an egg (which is why we love them) and the terms can get confusing. You know you like a runny yolk, but it’s embarrassing to ask what the difference is between “over easy” and “sunny side up.” Luckily, you’ll no longer need to. Check out this handy definition guide below to get the scoop on the many ways to prepare eggs, and once you’ve got it, shout your favorite cooking method from the rooftops.

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  When eggs are described as being cooked “over” something, the egg is being fried on both sides. The “easy,” “medium” or “hard” refers to the consistency of the yolk.

  In the case of “over easy,” the egg is fried on both sides so that the egg whites are firm while the yolk remains runny (like the yolk of a poached or soft boiled egg). It is prepared the same way as a sunny side up egg, but turned over with a spatula. This method better ensures that the egg whites fully solidify.

  (Photo College Recipes)

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  To cook an egg “over medium,” the egg is fried on both sides long enough so that the yolk is semi-solid.

  (Photo by College Recipes)

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  To cook an egg “over hard,” the egg is fried on both sides long enough so that the yolk is fully solid, like that of a hard boiled egg.

  (Photo by College Recipes)

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  Food Wine

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