Myth: French Toast is French.
That’s right, folks. French Toast is a phony! So, if the French did not invent this tasty little treat, who did? According to legend, it was a man named Joseph French. He created the dish in 1724, and advertised it as “French Toast” because he was grammatically inept and forgot the apostrophe.
But before we give our man Joe all the credit, let’s check the facts. According to a collection of recipes from the early 5th century AD, the dish we now know as French toast existed as early as the age of the Roman Empire. In their style of French toast, called Pan Dulcis, Romans would soak bread in a milk and egg mixture, then fry it in oil or butter.
Others believe that French toast was created by medieval European cooks who needed to use every bit of food they could find to feed their families. They knew day-old bread could be revived when moistened and heated. They added the eggs for additional moisture and protein.
The phrase “French Toast” first appeared in print in the Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink in 1871. But it is known by a variety of names including German toast, eggy bread, French-fried bread, gypsy toast, Poor Knights of Windsor, Spanish toast, nun’s toast, and pain perdu which means “lost bread” in French.
Bonus Facts:
In Scotland, French toast is traditionally served with sausage between two slices of French toast, eaten as a sandwich. It is also sometimes eaten with ketchup in Great Britain.
French toast tends to be high in protein, fat, sodium, selenium and riboflavin, and it has many other vitamins and minerals. November 28th is National French Toast Day… and we can’t wait to celebrate!!
And let’s not forget the most important fact about French Toast… The Breakfast Shoppe has been offering signature styles in addition to the classic original. Here are our all-time top 6 customer favorites:
• Strawberry Stuffed (as pictured)
• Bananas Foster
• French Toast we Paris (softened brie and wildflower honey)
• Apple Stuffed
• Toasted Nut and Honey
• French Toast Fruit Club
