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French Toast Rough Draft

History and Etymology

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French toast, also known as eggy bread[1] or gypsy toast,[2] is a dish of bread soaked in beaten eggs and then fried. When French toast is served as a sweet dish, milk, sugar, vanilla or cinnamon are also commonly added before pan-frying, and then it may be topped with sugar (often powdered sugar), butter, fruit, or syrup. When it is a savory dish, it is generally fried with a pinch of salt, and can then be served with a sauce such as ketchup or mayonnaise.[3][better source needed]

The earliest known reference to French toast is in the Apicius, a collection of Latin recipes dating to the 4th or 5th century; the recipe mentions soaking in milk, but not egg, and gives it no special name, just aliter dulcia 'another sweet dish'.[4] There is a 14th-century German recipe under the name "Arme Ritter" 'poor knights',[5] a name also used in the Scandinavian languages. In the 14th century, Taillevent presents a recipe for "tostées dorées".[6] There are 15th-century English recipes for "pain perdu"[7] (French for "lost [or wasted] bread", suggesting that the dish is a use for bread which has gone stale). Various versions of French toast under a variety of names -- "suppe dorate", "soupys yn dorye", etc. -- were prepared throughout Europe in the Middle Ages. They were sometimes served with game birds.[8] An Austrian and Bavarian term is "Pavese", perhaps related to a kind of wooden shield or to zuppa pavese, both referring to Pavia, Italy.

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Introduction

French toast is a dish made of bread that is soaked in milk and beaten eggs and then fried. It can be served as a sweet or savory dish. When served as a sweet dish, milk, sugar, vanilla or cinnamon are commonly added before pan-frying the bread. It can then be topped with sugar (often powdered sugar, butter, fruit, or syrup. When served as a savory dish, it can be fried with a pinch of salt, and served with various sauces such as ketchup or mayonnaise.  French toast is also known as eggy bread [1] or gypsy toast [2].

The origins of French toast are traceable back to the late 4th or early 5th century AD to the cookbook, Apicius [15].

There are also a few variations on French toast such as stuffed French toast [10], Hong Kong- style French toast [11], and Torrija.

History and Etymology

The origins of French Toast can be traced back to Ancient Roman times; specifically, the late 4th or early 5th century AD [15]. The first known recipe is found in Apicius, a collection of Latin recipes [16]. The recipe is entitled aliter dulcia, or 'another sweet dish,' [4] however, no specific name is listed. The recipe indicates that bread should be soaked in milk, but not egg, then fried, and topped with honey [16]. Linguistic evidence confirms these origins, as French Toast was originally referred to in France as "Pain a La Romaine," or Roman Bread [15].

Historical cookbooks also alluded to the fact that French Toast was not just a dish for the poor. In fact, in more ancient times, the rich were the only people privilege to own a cookbook. Furthermore, historical recipes called for white, un-crusted, bread, seasoned with expensive spices and almond milk.

In France, French Toast is called "pain perdu" [7]. Pain perdu is French for "lost [or wasted] bread,"[7] suggesting that the dish was a solution for bread which has gone stale. There are also other families of names that appear in various languages. There is a 14th-centruy German recipe under the name "Arme Ritter, or 'poor knights,' [5] a name also used in the Scandinavian languages. Taillevent presents a recipe for "tostées dorées" [6].  "Suppe dorate," and "soupys yn dorye," were prepared throughout Europe in the Middle Ages [8].

References:

http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodfaq1.html#frenchtoast

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/29728/29728-h/29728-h.htm#Page_155