Egg-cellent Gilded Age Etiquette

“…We have seen the egg held by a corner of the napkin, but this is not only tiresome but difficult to do nicely without soiling the napkin.”

The etiquette of eating a soft boiled egg has been the subject of more than one clever essay. The English custom, is to eat it directly from the shell, when of course a small egg cup and egg spoon are necessary. The American way, is to break the egg into a cup or glass by striking the egg in the center and turning the contents into the glass. In this case, it is usually eaten with a teaspoon, as an egg spoon, unless extra large, would be too small, and we have seen the egg held by a corner of the napkin, but this is not only tiresome but difficult to do nicely without soiling the napkin. – Mary Barr Munroe in Good Housekeeping, 1899

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