French Toast – French by Name, Not French by Nature

When waking up in the morning, those with a sweet tooth would crave something to satisfy their sweet tooth for the morning, if not the whole day. Something with a mixture of brioche bread, milk, eggs, butter, sugar and a touch of cinnamon is certainly enough to keep that sweet tooth satisfied.

Put all of these together, and you have yourself a sweet breakfast dish by the name of ‘French Toast’. This breakfast item, lovingly soaked in its milk-and-egg mixture and pan-fried to perfection, gives those who consume it the protein they need to seize the day. Not only is it rich in nutrients, but it is also rich in its long historical journey over the centuries. This is especially given the other names it has been known to go by, such as ‘eggy bread’ and ‘Poor Knights of Windsor’.

Poor Knights of Windsor - Photo credit: Andrew Twort & Annie Hudson

There are many historical accounts of French Toast, the earliest dating back to the 4th century during the Roman era. There was a cookery book that detailed a recipe by a chef named Marcus Gavius Apicius, called ‘Cooking and Dining in Imperial Rome’. The recipe was titled the Latin version of French Toast, ‘Aliter Dulcia’. Depicted as the original French Toast, the recipe highlighted how ingredients left over from other recipes can be used to create this dish.

Even those living in the Roman era were bent on using up these ingredients as much as possible and did not want anything to go to waste. This was especially true when it came to dousing the French Toast in honey for a sweeter taste.

French Toast with maple syrup and streaky bacon, courtesy of Flourish at Glenavon Farm

Fast-forwarding from this Roman period, the next record of this breakfast dish dates back to the 14^th century. Word of this recipe had spread across Europe, and more and more people were understanding of it, as well as another recipe that served as an alcoholic alternative. The cookbook ‘Forms of Cury’ included a recipe called ‘Payn Fondue’, in which slices of stale bread were soaked in wine, fried in grease, and sweetened with dried fruits, sugar, and other spices.

The further into the future we go, the more variations of French Toast are discovered. The 17^th century, for example, was abundant with French Toast variations. This includes the recipe ‘panperdy’, which made its way into a cookery book titled ‘The English Huswife’ in 1615. Later in 1660, the cookbook ‘The Accomplished Cook’ published a recipe that did not contain eggs but was also another example of an alcohol-based recipe, thanks to the wine-soaked bread used.

We then move on to the 18^th century, where in 1724, the official name for French Toast was inaugurated. An Albany innkeeper, Joseph French, intended to introduce the dish to his guests as ‘French’s Toast’. There was, however, an error: the apostrophe in the dish’s name was inadvertently removed, leading to the first-ever recording of the official name. In 1871, French Toast was added to North America’s ‘Encyclopaedia of American Food & Drink’, further establishing its name.

My version of French Toast (Pain Perdu)

Today, French Toast is more commonly known around the world by the names each country has given it. France itself, for example, has given it the name ‘Pain Perdu’, which is the literal translation of French Toast itself. Spain is another country with its own spin on this breakfast dish, known as Torrijas, which is especially popular during Lent.

The standard recipe for French Toast in this modern day suggests it may not be the healthiest breakfast item. While this is the case, its history is certainly enriching, and tells an incredible story of being given other names throughout its legacy.

The Travelling Foodie's Facts & Figures

• French Toast mainly uses brioche bread, predominantly brioche slices. You can also use brioche rolls as an alternative, as shown in my version above.

• You can use a wide range of toppings and layers for French Toast, from maple syrup and streaky bacon, to peanut butter (this is a popular topping in Hong Kong).