“‘Do not worry about tonight’s dinner, Bin. An omelet. No. Fried eggs will be more than fine.” (Truong 101)
Omelets have its variations across the world – including Japan’s tamagoyaki and Spain’s tortilla de patatas, and its true origins are obscure thanks to the near universality of eating cooked eggs. Still, many people maintain that this particular form of cooked eggs has its earliest beginnings in ancient Persia and was very similar to the modern Iranian kookoo sabzi (whipped eggs with chopped herbs folded in.)
The word “omelette” is French, and it first cropped up in a housewife’s guidebook in the 1300’s. The name comes from “amelette,” which is from the 13th century word “alemelle,” meaning blade of the knife referring to the food’s flat shape. French omelets differ a bit from the American omelets that many of us are familiar with – the French version requires more technique, producing a fluffy and slightly underdone rolled omelet, instead of the fully cooked and folded breakfast found in the US. It’s likely that the dish Miss Toklas was referring to in Book of Salt is the french version, as Binh says that it “takes practice to perfect,” perhaps alluding to its technical difficulty.
Miss Toklas ultimately requests fried eggs for dinner, instead of omelets, settling on a simpler and more intimate fare. Binh understands this gesture, explaining that fried eggs are a familial meal and insulting to offer to guests, and is only served by family and friends. Omelets, however, are perhaps more sophisticated despite being composed of the same humble ingredient, simply because of the effort and skill they require; they serve to comfort and impress.
Anderson, Heather Arndt. Breakfast: a History. AltaMira Press, a Division of Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2013.
“The Origin Of The Omelet.” Everybuddy’s Casual Dining & Pub, 11 Mar. 2019, www.everybuddyscasualdining.com/2019/03/11/the-origin-of-the-omelet/.
Truong, Monique. The Book of Salt. 2013.
“Who Invented the Omelette?” Who Invented the Omelette? | Egg Recipes – British Lion Eggs, www.eggrecipes.co.uk/blog/who-invented-omelette.