What part of France invented French toast? (2024)

Category: Society Published: November 13, 2012

By: Christopher S. Baird, author of The Top 50 Science Questions with Surprising Answers and Associate Professor of Physics at West Texas A&M University

The French did not invent French toast. Rather, it was Americans who gave the name "French Toast" to this dish because French immigrants in America popularized the dishe. In fact, French toast was invented long before France even existed. The first known recorded recipe for French toast comes from Rome around 300 A.D. The Roman author Apicius included it in his cookbook titled "Cooking and Dining in Imperial Rome". For centuries, the French themselves called this dish "Roman Bread". Today, French toast has spread to much of the world. As explained by FoodReference.com, the recipe was seen as a good way to make use of stale bread without wasting it. For this reason, many countries today refer to this dish as "lost bread".

Topics: France, food, french toast

What part of France invented French toast? (2024)

FAQs

What part of France invented French toast? ›

In fact, French toast was invented long before France even existed. The first known recorded recipe for French toast comes from Rome around 300 A.D. The Roman author Apicius included it in his cookbook titled "Cooking and Dining in Imperial Rome". For centuries, the French themselves called this dish "Roman Bread

Roman Bread
Ancient Roman bread was typically made from sourdough. White raised bread was preferred over unleavened bread; the latter was associated with the lower classes. Sourdough bread was made by mixing flour with water, and leaving the mix in the open air, to be colonised by wild, airborne yeasts.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Baking_in_ancient_Rome
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Who invented French toast? ›

According to the books, it was invented by a man named Joseph French. He created the dish in 1724, and called it “French Toast” because he was grammatically inept and forgot the apostrophe.

Is French toast a thing in Paris? ›

A staple food in France, French toast is named “Pain perdu” which translates literally to lost bread, reflecting the use of stale bread so it doesn't get “lost”. These slices of breads dunked in an eggy mixture and toasted in a pan are comforting, sweet and tender – and a breeze to make at home.

Was French toast called German toast? ›

The Dictionary of American Food and Drink contends that the first egg-based recipe in print didn't appear until 1870; throughout the tail end of the 19th century, similar recipes appeared under the monikers “French toast,” “Egg toast,” “Spanish toast,” and even “German toast.”

Is French toast from Europe? ›

French Toast is not French. The original French Toast, Pain Perdu (French for “Lost Bread”) was originally a recipe created out of necessity. The treat dates all the way back to ancient Rome. Allow us to help you raise your restaurant's breakfast game by showing you the best way to prepare this indulgent ancient treat.

What do French people call French toast? ›

The usual French name is pain perdu (French: [pɛ̃ pɛʁdy] 'lost bread', reflecting its use of stale or otherwise "lost" bread. It may also be called pain doré 'golden bread' in Canada.

Is French toast healthy? ›

French Toast is a delicious breakfast entree that is loved by many. With this in mind, french toast can be very calorie dense with high amounts of added sugar and fat. But, it can be tweaked to reduce the sugar and fat content while adding some fiber to your breakfast - yay!

What is French toast called in Quebec? ›

Known as golden bread or pain dore, this version of the famous egg-soaked bread is an easy preparation of thickly sliced bread soaked in sweetened cinnamon custard and then sautéed in butter to golden perfection.

Can you order French toast in France? ›

French toast in France is called pain perdu. Also Read: Why Do Americans Call Fries 'French Fries'?

What is a fun fact about French toast? ›

It can be topped with fruits, Nutella or whipped cream and most commonly with maple syrup, icing sugar, and butter on top. French toast was invented by Joseph French in 1724. It got its current name through a grammatical error. He wanted to name it French's toast, but he forgot to include an apostrophe.

What do people in England call French toast? ›

Around the world, people enjoy french toast in many different ways. The British call french toast “eggy bread," “gypsy bread" or “french-fried bread." And sometimes they serve it with ketchup.

What does French toast mean in English? ›

French toast. noun. : bread dipped in a mixture of eggs and milk and fried at low heat.

Where was French toast first made? ›

The first known recorded recipe for French toast comes from Rome around 300 A.D. The Roman author Apicius included it in his cookbook titled "Cooking and Dining in Imperial Rome". For centuries, the French themselves called this dish "Roman Bread".

Why do Americans eat French toast? ›

It is thought that it was popularized as 'French toast' when French immigrants brought pain perdu to America. These days, almost every region has their own version of French toast, and it can be sweet or savory. Some countries eat it as a breakfast meal, while for others, it's a sweet and indulgent treat.

Do they eat French toast in the UK? ›

In the UK, French toast is often called 'eggy bread'. As the name suggests, eggy bread is more, well, eggy than American-style French toast. Many British recipes for eggy bread use as little as a tablespoon of milk for two eggs. It's frequently savoury or, if sweet, served simply with a dusting of sugar.

What country did scrambled eggs originate from? ›

The scrambling of eggs is an ancient technique. The earliest documented recipe for scrambled eggs was in the 14th-century Italian cookbook Libro della cucina.

Who made toast for the first time? ›

We know toast is nothing more than lightly burned bread - or if you're bad at it, very burned bread. The toast's actual history is unclear; some food historians believe that in 3000 B.C., the Egyptians dried their bread in front of open fires to keep it mold-free longer.

What is the science behind French toast? ›

Maillard Reaction occurs when cooking french toast. The maillard reaction is a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that gives browned foods their desirable flavor. The Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction between an amino acid and a reducing sugar, usually requiring the addition of heat.

What's the difference between eggy bread and French toast? ›

What's the difference between French toast and eggy bread? In general, French Toast tends to be sweet and eggy bread is more savoury. With French toast, you might have cinnamon, syrup and berries, whereas eggy bread is more likely to be paired with bacon or a fried egg. However, French toast can also be savoury.

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