Woman Sparks Outrage With Bizarre Egg Frying Technique She Apparently Learnt From Her Italian Grandmother

A woman has gone viral on social media for a creative yet controversial egg recipe that uses cucumber instead of oil.

Jana, who goes by username Jana.dvll on TikTok, can be seen lathering her skillet with a large green fruit before cracking an egg into it.

The result? A perfectly cooked sunny-side-up egg, its golden orb intact, sliding out of the pan with ease, and leaving it even cleaner than it would have been had she used oil or butter.

Jana, who appeared as astonished as some of her viewers, proclaimed that she would never use oil again.

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The internet is not buying into the hack

Woman cracking eggs into a pan using a bizarre egg frying technique inspired by her Italian grandmother in the kitchen.

Image credits: Dusan Petkovic/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)

TikTok, for the most part, is skeptical, with many attributing the success of the recipe with two million engagements to the pan’s nonstick coating.

“I don’t know how everybody is surprised that the egg isn’t stuck on a nonstick pan. [It] literally has nothing to do with the cucumber,” one commenter wrote.

To test the theory, Sara Kate Gillingham and Maxwell Ryan’s TheKitchn performed an experiment of its own.

The home cooking media outlet cracked an egg into a cold nonstick skillet and turned the heat up slowly.

Woman demonstrating bizarre egg frying technique in a kitchen, inspired by her Italian grandmother without using oil.

Image credits: jana.dvll

The result proved effective. There was no browning at the edges with the additional upside of not having hot grease splatter out of the pan.

But it did present one drawback. The egg was “noticeably less rich and delicious” than when cooked with oil, fat or butter.

Jana claimed she learned the hack from her Italian grandmother.

TikTok had ideas on this too, with one commenter writing: “As an Italian, absolutely not. No Italian grandma would replace oil.”

She learned it from her Italian grandmother, she says

Woman demonstrating bizarre egg frying technique learned from her Italian grandmother using a cucumber and frying pan.

Image credits: jana.dvll

Olive oil—in the context of Italian cooking—is nothing to worry about, argued one of Jana’s followers, who sees the obsession with skipping it as misplaced.

With the exceptions of canola, corn, soybean, sunflower, safflower, and palm oils that produce unhealthy compounds when heated, cooking with oils can be healthy—especially when inflammation is a common condition, per the University of California, Davis.

Cooking with Teflon-coated cookware, however, is a source of controversy in medical and scientific circles.

Nonstick pans have a history tied to severe illnesses

Woman frying eggs using a bizarre technique learned from her Italian grandmother in a modern kitchen setting.

Image credits: jana.dvll

Teflon, now a trademarked brand name, was known to contain a toxic chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), but the substance was phased out by 2013, according to the health guidance website, Healthline.

It was associated with thyroid disorders, chronic kidney and liver disease, and testicular cancer, along with infertility and low birth rates, according to various studies archived by the National Library of Medicine.

The coating still contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs), chemicals known for their oil- and water-resistant properties.

The effects of these synthetic compounds on the human body—which are also found in rain jackets, nail polish, dental floss and carpets—are not fully understood, says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Cooking without oil could be more dangerous

Fried egg cooking in a pan using a bizarre egg frying technique learned from Italian grandmother with seasoning added.

Image credits: jana.dvll

Manufacturers tout cooking on Teflon without oil as safe, provided the utensil does not exceed 500°F (260°C).

But according to the University of Illinois, Teflon-covered pans often have imperfections that emit gasses which are toxic at much lower temperatures.

Factors that may expedite this wear include the use of metal spatulas, abrasive scorers and detergents, cleaning in dish washer, preheating and, according to Liz Meimann, a food science expert at the University of Iowa, cooking dry—which means cooking without grease, fat or oil.

But there are alternatives

Woman reacting to unusual egg frying technique learned from her Italian grandmother, with a frying pan on a stovetop.

Image credits: jana.dvll

There is the traditional way of cooking eggs in a stainless steel pan and it does not need to stick. 

The trick here, according to shopping aide Prudent Reviews, is pre-heating the skillet.

The best way to test the pan’s temperature is by splashing water into it. If the droplet dances around, then it is at the right temperature. 

Comment on bizarre egg frying technique shared by woman, sparking outrage with unusual Italian grandmother cooking method.

Comment on social media post questioning if the Italian grandmother is named Pinterest, sparking outrage over bizarre egg frying technique.

Woman pouring olive oil into a frying pan preparing for a unique egg frying technique in a kitchen setting.

Image credits: Светлана Лазаренко/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)

Tip the moisture out, add your oil and then the egg. The same rule applies to cast iron pots, which, notably, will need a bit more grease, but the principle of preheating remains the same.

Because cast iron pots retain their temperature so well, it is essential to turn the stove all the way down once it’s hot enough, per TheKitchn.

Social media is divided over Jana’s hack

Comment on social media about an unconventional egg frying technique sparking outrage online.

Social media comment discussing olive oil benefits amid outrage over bizarre egg frying technique.

@jana.dvll that was so smooooth WHAAT? #cucumber#eggs#lifehack#breakfasthack#cookinghack♬ Love – The Something Specials & Taylor Olin

Woman reacting with surprise in a comment praising a bizarre egg frying technique learned from her Italian grandmother

Comment saying girl no way this is a game changer, reacting to woman’s bizarre egg frying technique learned from grandmother.

Comment expressing frustration about restrictions, posted below a video of a woman’s egg frying technique.

Social media user reacting to bizarre egg frying technique inspired by Italian grandmother in a comment thread.

Comment saying I’ll try this now with a woman’s profile picture, engaging with bizarre egg frying technique post.

Comment on a cooking video discussing a woman’s bizarre egg frying technique inspired by her Italian grandmother.

Comment on social media showing user reacting to a bizarre egg frying technique learned from her Italian grandmother.

Comment by Vanessa about using olive oil from her Italian grandmother’s garden in Sicilia for authentic egg frying technique.

User comment saying doubt about someone's Italian grandmother, with 21 likes on a social media platform.

Comment saying "An almond Italian nonna" with 3,332 likes, referencing a woman’s bizarre egg frying technique.

Comment on bizarre egg frying technique causing outrage, mentioning nonstick pan use.

Comment about woman’s bizarre egg frying technique shared in casual social media post with profile image visible.

Comment discussing egg frying technique, suggesting using a cast iron or stainless steel pan instead of non-stick.

Comment by Grant Smith discussing the use of a non-stick pan for frying eggs without sticking issues.

Comment on social media post reading its just the pan girl trust me, expressing opinion on bizarre egg frying technique controversy.

Comment on social media reacting to a woman’s bizarre egg frying technique learned from her Italian grandmother.

Comment about using oil for taste in a cooking discussion related to a bizarre egg frying technique.

Comment from user milkdrinker discussing the idea that body needs oil and it won’t ruin diet, related to egg frying technique outrage.

Commenter defending bizarre egg frying technique, emphasizing acceptance of unusual cooking methods and nutrition.

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