What do traditional names for fried eggs mean to you?

[Timothy]

"Over Easy", "Over Medium", "Over Hard" and "Sunny Side Up"

What's your opinion? How is it done in your area?

Another member recently described what they thought two of these terms meant to them. I didn't agree, so I did a net search.

What I found was disagreement all over the net.

The differences? The condition of the egg white and the yolk when served.

"Over Easy" was defined both with the white fully cooked and with it not fully cooked.

"Over Medium" was defined as white fully cooked by yolk only thickened. Or as white fully cooked and yolk half cooked.

Over Easy was defined as both white fully cooked or white partially cooked, yolk partially cooked or yolk only heated and thickened.

Over hard was the only one I found where everyone seemed to agree that both the white and yolk are fully cooked.

In my area of Florida:

1. Over Easy means white not fully cooked and yolk very runny. Egg flipped.

2. Over Medium means the white is fully cooked and the yolk just as much as it takes to fully cook the white. Egg flipped.

3. Over Hard means both white and yolk are hard cooked. Egg flipped.

4. Sunny Side Up means white fully cooked and yolk as runny as possible with the egg NOT flipped, but a slight film of cooked surface over the egg yolk.

What's your opinion? How is it done in your area?

[Aunt Bea]

It is about the same in the North.

How about Adam and Eve on a raft, wreck em!

Two poached eggs on toast, break the yolks!

[pacanis]

My area does not serve runny whites in diners, restaurants and such.
Sunny side up is a fully cooked white and over easy is a fully cooked white. To tell the truth, I didn't even know it was possible to flip an egg and not have the white fully cooked. Not unless you flipped it onto the plate.
Easy, med and hard all refer to the doneness of the yolk. Killed means the yolk was broken. At least where I've eaten.

[TATTRAT]

Sunny side up= never been flipped
Over Easy=Flipped, and cooked easy, leaving the yolk runny, and the white set
Over medium/hard, all refer to the done-ness of the yolk

[purple.alien.giraffe]

Originally Posted by TATTRAT

Sunny side up= never been flipped
Over Easy=Flipped, and cooked easy, leaving the yolk runny, and the white set
Over medium/hard, all refer to the done-ness of the yolk

+1

[Dawgluver]

Originally Posted by purple.alien.giraffe

+1

+2

[CWS4322]

And when you put a cover on and the FRESH egg self-bastes, what's that called?

[Timothy]

'Over easy' cooked on both sides; the yolk is a light runny and the egg white is not fully cooked.

'Sunny side up' — cooked only on one side; yolk is liquid; the egg white is often still a bit runny as well.


Just one example of someone who disagrees with several of you:

Fried egg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Of course neither wiki or any of us is an absolute authority. This thread is to show that there are folks who think many different ways about what the traditional names for cooked eggs mean.

Some say it has to do with the yolk, not the white. Some say the opposite. I don't think there is a standard.

[TATTRAT]

I was just surprised more than anything, that you didn't know what to make of a sandwich with an over easy egg on it, lol. A runny yolk can be a thing of beauty on some sandwiches, salads, rice bowls, soups. . . I never have cared for a non cooked white, too snotty for me.

[Timothy]

Originally Posted by TATTRAT

I was just surprised more than anything, that you didn't know what to make of a sandwich with an over easy egg on it, lol. A runny yolk can be a thing of beauty on some sandwiches, salads, rice bowls, soups. . . I never have cared for a non cooked white, too snotty for me.

Well, where I'm from, and that includes several places in Nevada, California, Maryland and Florida, "Over Easy" means that the white of the egg is partially uncooked and still runny. I've always thought that was nasty and couldn't imagine someone trying to eat one on a cheese sandwich!

Every place I order eggs, I make sure to specify to the wait staff that I want my eggs flipped, with the whites completely cooked and the yolk as runny as possible, whatever they call them. I've had them respond with:

"Oh, you mean over medium"

Or

"Oh, you mean over easy"

It would be nice if everyone agreed, but that ain't happening anywhere I've lived.