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Showing all 12 preparations
Scrambled eggs
Depends how it was cooked
- What it is
- Beaten and cooked in a pan. Usually set firm, but soft or 'creamy' scrambled eggs are deliberately left loose.
- United States
- Firm scrambled eggs fit CDC guidance. Soft or creamy scrambled eggs may still be loose, which does not.
- Worth knowing
- Restaurant scrambled eggs are often cooked soft on purpose. Ask for them well cooked if you want the firm version.
Over hard
Yolk and white set firm
- What it is
- Fried, flipped, and cooked until the yolk is fully set.
- United States
- CDC guidance is eggs cooked until both the yolk and white are firm, so this preparation fits it.
Over easy
Yolk stays runny
- What it is
- Fried and flipped briefly, leaving the yolk runny. Sunny side up is the same yolk question without the flip.
- United States
- CDC guidance is eggs cooked until both the yolk and white are firm, so a runny yolk sits outside it. Pasteurized eggs are the usual alternative.
- Worth knowing
- Over medium is in between and often still soft in the centre. If you want a firm yolk, over hard is the unambiguous order.
Fried egg
Depends how it was cooked
- What it is
- A fried egg can arrive with a completely set yolk or a fully runny one, depending on how long it was cooked.
- United States
- Depends on the yolk. Set firm fits CDC guidance; runny does not.
- Worth knowing
- Fried is the least specific way to order an egg. Over hard removes the ambiguity.
Poached egg
Yolk stays runny
- What it is
- Cooked in water without the shell. The white sets while the yolk is usually left deliberately runny.
- United States
- CDC guidance is eggs cooked until both the yolk and white are firm, so a runny yolk sits outside it. Pasteurized eggs are the usual alternative.
- Worth knowing
- A poached egg can be cooked to a firm yolk on request, which most kitchens will do if asked.
Soft boiled egg
Yolk stays runny
- What it is
- Boiled briefly so the white sets and the yolk stays liquid.
- United States
- CDC guidance is eggs cooked until both the yolk and white are firm, so a runny yolk sits outside it. Pasteurized eggs are the usual alternative.
Hard boiled egg
Yolk and white set firm
- What it is
- Boiled until both the white and yolk are fully set.
- United States
- CDC guidance is eggs cooked until both the yolk and white are firm, so this preparation fits it.
- Worth knowing
- If it was pre-peeled and sold chilled, treat it as a chilled ready-to-eat food and check the date and storage.
Eggs Benedict
Yolk stays runny
- What it is
- A poached egg with hollandaise sauce. Two separate egg questions on one plate, which is why it needs its own entry.
- United States
- The poached egg is usually runny, which sits outside CDC's firm-yolk guidance. Hollandaise is the second question: it is a warm emulsion of egg yolk and butter that is not cooked to a firm set, and restaurant versions are commonly made with unpasteurized egg.
- Worth knowing
- Ask two questions rather than one: how the egg is cooked, and whether the hollandaise is made with pasteurized egg. Florentine and Royale carry the same sauce.
Omelette or frittata
Depends how it was cooked
- What it is
- Beaten eggs cooked through in a pan. Usually fully set, though French-style omelettes are deliberately left soft in the middle.
- United States
- A fully set omelette fits CDC guidance. A French-style omelette left runny in the centre does not.
Pasteurized egg or egg product
Not a runny-yolk question
- What it is
- Egg that has been heat-treated in or out of the shell to reduce pathogens, sold as liquid egg or as marked shell eggs.
- United States
- Pasteurized egg is the standard route given for recipes that are not cooked through, such as homemade mayonnaise, mousse, or hollandaise.
- Worth knowing
- Pasteurized is not the same as pasture-raised, organic, free-range, or farm fresh. Only the word pasteurized means the egg was treated.
Farm fresh or backyard eggs
Not a runny-yolk question
- What it is
- Eggs from a small farm, a market stall, or your own hens, usually with no assurance marking.
- United States
- The preparation question is unchanged: CDC guidance is a firm yolk and white. Provenance does not substitute for cooking.
- Worth knowing
- A clean shell, a deep yolk colour, and knowing the farmer are not indicators of anything relevant here.
Century egg or preserved egg
Not a runny-yolk question
- What it is
- Egg preserved in an alkaline mixture for weeks or months. Not raw and not conventionally cooked.
- United States
- No U.S. or U.K. pregnancy authority gives a separate blanket rule for these. Treat it as a specific preserved product rather than assuming either category.
- Worth knowing
- Check whether it is hen, duck or quail, whether it was commercially produced, how it has been stored, and whether any recall names it.
This lookup describes what each preparation usually involves and what the guidance for your country says about it. It does not decide whether a specific dish was safe for you. If you already ate one and are worried, the egg guide covers the symptom window and when to call someone.
Why there are two different answers
This is the part most egg advice flattens, and it matters because the two positions genuinely conflict.
United States. CDC guidance is eggs cooked until both the yolk and the white are firm. Where a recipe cannot be cooked through, pasteurized egg is the route given.
United Kingdom. NHS guidance allows raw or partially cooked hen eggs during pregnancy when they carry the British Lion mark or come from the Laid in Britain scheme and are within their use-by date. Eggs without that assurance should be well cooked.
So a runny poached egg can be within guidance in one country and outside it in another. Neither is wrong; they reflect different assurance schemes in the two egg industries. Use the guidance where you live, and your clinician's advice ahead of both.
The two words people mix up
Pasteurized means the egg was heat-treated to reduce pathogens. It is the only word on this list that describes what happened to the egg itself.
Pasture-raised, along with organic, free-range, farm fresh and backyard, describes how the hen was kept. None of them imply pasteurization, and none of them substitute for cooking.
Eggs Benedict is two questions
It gets its own note because people check the egg and stop. The poached egg is usually runny, and then there is hollandaise: a warm emulsion of egg yolk and butter that is not cooked to a firm set and is commonly made with unpasteurized egg in restaurants.
Ask how the egg is cooked and whether the hollandaise is made with pasteurized egg. Florentine and Royale swap the meat and keep the sauce, so they carry the same question.
Save the dish with the day
If a question comes up later, the useful facts are what you ate, how it was cooked, where, and when. Nouri can keep those together so the answer does not rely on memory.
Common egg questions
Can you have over easy eggs while pregnant?
Over easy leaves the yolk runny. CDC guidance is eggs cooked until both the yolk and white are firm, so a runny yolk sits outside it. Current NHS guidance is different: it allows raw or partially cooked hen eggs in pregnancy when they carry the British Lion mark or come from the Laid in Britain scheme and are within the use-by date. Which answer applies depends on where you are.
Are eggs Benedict a problem in pregnancy?
Eggs Benedict raises two questions rather than one. The poached egg is usually runny, and hollandaise is a warm emulsion of egg yolk and butter that is not cooked to a firm set, commonly made with unpasteurized egg in restaurants. Ask both how the egg is cooked and whether the hollandaise uses pasteurized egg. Florentine and Royale use the same sauce.
Are scrambled eggs always fully cooked?
Not necessarily. Soft or creamy scrambled eggs are deliberately left loose, which is a different situation from firm scrambled eggs. Restaurants often cook them soft by default, so asking for them well cooked is the way to get the firm version.
Do farm fresh or backyard eggs count as safer?
They are the case the NHS exception does not cover, because they usually carry no British Lion or Laid in Britain assurance, so NHS guidance is that they should be well cooked rather than eaten runny. In the U.S. the preparation question is unchanged regardless of provenance. A clean shell or a deep yolk colour indicates nothing relevant.
Is pasteurized the same as pasture-raised?
No, and the words are easy to confuse. Pasteurized means the egg was heat-treated to reduce pathogens. Pasture-raised, organic, free-range and farm fresh all describe how the hen was kept and say nothing about pasteurization.
Related Nouri pages
Sources checked on 1 September 2026
- CDC: Safer food choices for pregnant women
- NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy
- FDA: What you need to know about egg safety
- FoodSafety.gov: People at risk, pregnant women
Covers 12 preparations. Descriptions reflect what each usually involves; kitchens vary, so this is a starting point for what to ask rather than a verdict on a specific plate.