French toast - wikipedia French toast This article is about the food. For the band, see French Toast ( band ). French toast French toast served at a restaurant Serving temperature Hot, with toppings Main ingredients Bread, eggs, milk or cream Cookbook : French toast Media : French toast French toast is a dish made of bread soaked in eggs and milk, then fried. Alternative names and variants include eggy bread, Bombay toast, German toast, gypsy toast, poor knights ( of Windsor ), and Torrija. The earliest known reference to French toast is in the Apicius, a collection of Latin recipes dating to the 4th or 5th century, where it is described as simply aliter dulcia ( `` another sweet dish '' ). The recipe depicts soaking in milk, but not egg. Contents 1 History 2 Preparation 2.1 Variations 3 Local versions 3.1 France 3.2 Spain 3.3 Hong Kong 3.4 India 3.5 United States 3.5. 1 New Orleans 3.6 Brazil 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links History Under the names suppe dorate, soupys yn dorye, tostées dorées, and payn purdyeu, the dish was widely known in medieval Europe and often served with game birds and meats. A fourteenth - century German recipe uses the name Arme Ritter ( `` poor knights '' ), a name also used in English and the Nordic languages. Also in the fourteenth century, Taillevent presented a recipe for `` tostées dorées ''. Italian 15th - century culinary expert Martino da Como offers a recipe. The word `` soup '' in the dish 's name refers to bread soaked in a liquid, a sop. The usual French name is pain perdu ( French : ( pɛ̃ pɛʁdy ) ( listen ), `` lost bread '', reflecting its use of stale or otherwise `` lost '' bread - which gave birth to the metaphoric term pain perdu for sunk costs. It may also be called pain doré, `` golden bread ''. There are fifteenth - century English recipes for pain perdu. An Austrian and Bavarian term is pafese or pofese, from zuppa pavese, referring to Pavia, Italy. In Hungary, it is commonly called bundáskenyér ( lit. `` furry bread '' ). Preparation French toast topped with fruit, butter and cream, served with maple syrup Slices of bread are soaked or dipped in a mixture of beaten eggs, often whisked with milk or cream. Sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla are variously added to the mixture. The bread is then fried in butter until browned and cooked through. Day - old bread is often used, both for its thrift and because it will soak up more egg mixture without falling apart. The cooked slices may be served with sugar or sweet toppings such as jam, honey, fruit, or maple syrup. Variations According to the Compleat Cook ( 1659 ) as quoted in the OED, the bread was dipped in milk only, with the egg mixture added afterwards. Alternatively, the bread may be soaked in wine, rosewater, or orange juice, either before or after cooking. Local versions France In France, pain perdu may be eaten as a dessert, an afternoon tea snack ( `` goûter '' ), or more rarely as a breakfast. Spain Torrija is a similar recipe traditionally prepared in Spain for Lent and Holy Week. It is usually made by soaking stale bread in milk or wine with honey and spices. It is dipped in beaten egg and fried with olive oil. This cooking technique breaks down the fibres of the bread and results in a pastry with a crispy outside and smooth inside. It is often sprinkled with cinnamon as a final touch. Torrijas or torrejas were first mentioned by the Spanish composer, poet and playwright Juan del Encina ( 1468 -- 1533 ) in his Cancionero, published in 1496. In `` Anda acá pastor '' one reads : `` En cantares nuevos / gocen sus orejas, / miel e muchos huevos / para hacer torrejas, / aunque sin dolor / parió al Redemptor ''. Hong Kong Hong Kong -- style French toast Hong Kong - style French toast ( Chinese : 西 多 士 ; Cantonese Yale : sāidōsí ; literally : `` western toast '' ) is typically prepared by combining multiple slices of bread with peanut butter or fruit jam filling, then dipped in beaten egg and deep fried. It is served with butter, and topped with golden syrup or honey. It is a typical offering in Hong Kong teahouses ( cha chaan teng ). Other types of filling that can be found are meat floss, kaya jam, ham or beef satay. India French toast is commonly served as a breakfast food in India. It differs from other versions in that it generally omits any dairy or sweet component. French toast is generally made by beating plain eggs ( salt is optional ) and dipping pieces of white sliced bread in them for a brief soak, after which they are pan fried. During the cooking process, savory ingredients such as fried onions, cilantro leaves, diced tomato, or chopped green chilis may be added. Once the egg is set, the slices of French toast are often served with tomato ketchup. United states New Orleans In New Orleans Louisiana Creole cuisine, French toast is known as pain perdu and is most commonly served as breakfast. The recipe calls for New Orleans - style French bread ; the batter is an egg - based custard that may include spirits. Common toppings include cane syrup, strongly - flavored honey, or fruit syrups ; a dusting of powdered sugar is also traditional. Brazil In Brazil French Toast is called ' Rabanada '. It is made with diagonal slices of French bread soaked in a mix of milk and eggs, deep fried and covered with cinnamon and sugar. It is a typical Christmas dessert brought by Portuguese ancestors. See also Food portal Egg in the basket List of bread dishes List of breakfast foods List of brunch foods List of egg dishes Monte Cristo sandwich Milk toast References Jump up ^ Beckett, Fiona ( 18 September 2010 ). `` Student cookbook : French toast ( a.k.a. eggy bread ) ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 13 December 2012. Jump up ^ White, Bridget. `` Sweet French Toast ( Bombay Toast ) - Anglo - Indian - Family friendly - Recipe ''. Retrieved 8 October 2016. Jump up ^ Farmer, Fannie Merritt ( 1918 ). The Boston Cooking - School Cook Book. Boston : Little, Brown ; republished at Bartleby.com, 2000. Retrieved 6 April 2015. ^ Jump up to : Koerner, Brendan. `` Is French Toast Really French ? ''. Slate.com. Retrieved 6 April 2015. Jump up ^ Mille ( 24 February 2002 ). `` Gypsy Toast ''. food.com. Retrieved 19 January 2015. ^ Jump up to : Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd ed., 2006, s.v. ' poor ' S3 Jump up ^ Joseph Dommers Vehling, trans., Apicius : Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome, Book VII, chapter 13, recipe 296 full text at Gutenberg Jump up ^ Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm. Deutsches Wörterbuch, quoting from the Buch von guter Spyse. Jump up ^ Pichon, Jérôme ; Vicaire, Georges ( 1892 ). Le Viandier de Guillaume Tirel dit Taillevent. p. 262. Jump up ^ Odile Redon, et al., The Medieval Kitchen : Recipes from France and Italy, 2000, p. 207f Jump up ^ Gabriel Meurier, Christoffel Plantijn, Vocabulaire francois - flameng, 1562 p. 83 Jump up ^ Trésor de la Langue Française Informatisé s.v. ' pain ' Jump up ^ Austin, T. Two 15th - century Cookery - books, 1888, quoting a 1450 recipe, quoted in the Oxford English Dictionary Jump up ^ Davidson, Alan ; Jaine, Tom ( 2006 ). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press. p. 102. ISBN 0 - 19 - 280681 - 5. Jump up ^ Ulrich Ammon, Variantenwörterbuch des Deutschen : die Standardsprache in Österreich, der Schweiz und Deutschland sowie in Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Ostbelgien und Südtirol, 2004, ISBN 3110165759, p. 552 Jump up ^ `` French toast, az @ édes @ bundás kenyér ''. Jump up ^ Alton, Brown. `` French Toast - Food Network ''. Jump up ^ `` French Toast Toppings -- Unique French Toast Recipes ''. Good Housekeeping. Retrieved 19 January 2015. Jump up ^ ( Compleat Cook ( 1659 ) as quoted in the OED Citation incomplete, needs improvement ) Jump up ^ John Ayto, The Diner 's Dictionary : Word Origins of Food and Drink, ISBN 0199640246, p. 142 Jump up ^ Adam Islip, A Dictionarie ( sic ) of the French and English Tongues, 1611, full text Jump up ^ ( in French ) Wikipedia article about the pain perdu Jump up ^ Lepard, Dan ( 20 July 2012 ). `` Dan Lepard 's recipes for Basque butter buns, plus fried milk bread ( a.k.a. torrija ) ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 11 March 2015. Jump up ^ Cervantes, Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de. `` La teatralidad en los villancicos pastoriles de Juan del Encina / Marta Haro Cortés Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes ''. www.cervantesvirtual.com. Retrieved 2016 - 03 - 23. ^ Jump up to : CNN Go World 's 50 most delicious foods 21 July 2011. Retrieved 2011 - 10 - 11 Jump up ^ `` 香港 獨一無二 的 沙 爹 牛肉 法式 吐 司 '' ( Hong Kong 's unique beef satay french toast ) ( in Chinese ). Retrieved 2017 - 08 - 07. ^ Jump up to : Tabacca, Laura. `` New Orleans Style Pain Perdu ( French Toast ) ''. The Spiced Life. Retrieved 25 November 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Pain Perdu ''. The Gumbo Pages. Retrieved 25 November 2017. ^ Jump up to : Mitzewich, John. `` New Orleans - style French Toast `` Pain Perdu '' ``. The Spruce. Retrieved 25 November 2017. Further reading Claiborne, Craig ( 1985 ). Craig Claiborne 's The New York Times Food Encyclopedia. New York : Times Books. ISBN 0 - 8129 - 1271 - 3. Farmer, Fannie ( 1918 ). The Boston Cooking - School Cook Book. Boston : Little, Brown and Co. Mariani, John F. ( 1999 ). The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink. New York : Lebhar - Friedman. ISBN 0 - 86730 - 784 - 6. Redon, Odilie ( 1998 ). The Medieval Kitchen : Recipes from France and Italy. Chicago : Univ. Chicago Press. ISBN 0 - 226 - 70684 - 2. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to French toast. Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe / module on French Toast Wikiquote has quotations related to : French toast From Lost Bread to French Toast French Toast with egg and butter Bread Types Brown bread Chapati Flatbread Injera Multigrain bread Naan Paratha Pitta Quick Rye bread Salt - rising Sandwich bread Soda bread Sourdough Texas toast Unleavened White bread Whole wheat Ingredients Baker 's yeast Barm Calcium propanoate Eggs Fat Flour Flour treatment agent Leavening agent Milk Salt Sugar Water Equipment Oven Bread machine Bread pan Dough scraper Farinograph Lame Peel Stand mixer Weighing scales Processes Autolysis Baking Biga Chorleywood bread process Kneading Leavening Maillard reaction No - knead bread Proofing Pre-ferment Pre-slicing Sponge and dough Steaming Straight dough Vienna process Uses Bread crumbs Bread bowl Bread pudding Croutons French toast Stuffing Sandwiches Toast Other Breadmaking Baker percentage Bread in Europe History of bread List articles American breads Brand name breads Bread dishes Bread rolls British breads Buns Indian breads Pakistani breads Quick breads Sweet breads Toast dishes Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=French_toast&oldid=815265272 '' Categories : Egg dishes Bread dishes Toast dishes Hidden categories : Articles with French - language external links CS1 Chinese - language sources ( zh ) Pages using deprecated image syntax All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from September 2017 Articles with hAudio microformats Articles containing Chinese - language text Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikibooks Alemannisch Asturianu Български Boarisch Català Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Galego 한국어 Italiano עברית ಕನ್ನಡ Latina Lietuvių Magyar Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk ଓଡ଼ିଆ Pälzisch Polski Português Русский Simple English Српски / srpski Suomi Svenska West - Vlams ייִדיש 粵語 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 13 December 2017, at 20 : 21. 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Question: where did the name french toast come from
Answer: the Apicius