French toast
French toast servingFrench toast is popular as a breakfast main course in North America, parts of Europe, and China.
French toast is made with bread (generally pre-sliced) and eggs; some common additions are milk, water, or orange juice to thin the eggs, sugar, and spices such |
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as allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Vanilla may also be added to the egg mixture. In restaurants in the United States, the bread is usually thick white bread made especially for use in French toast; when made at home, regular sliced bread is often used. Many people prefer to use breads that contain dried fruit as the bread base for French toast.
Although considered by most to be a sweetly spiced dish, some prefer a savoury version, seasoned with salt and pepper instead. |
Preparation
The eggs are beaten (and mixed with other liquids, as described above) and poured into a wide, shallow bowl. Individual slices of bread are then dipped into the egg mixture and flipped, so both sides are evenly coated. If desired, the bread may be left to soak briefly to absorb more of the mixture; however, too much soaking will make the bread fall apart (which is why some cooks prefer to use bread that is closer to the end of its shelf-life). The slices of egg-coated bread are then placed on a frying pan or griddle previously coated with butter, and cooked until both sides are browned and the egg has cooked through.
The cooked slices are usually served with jam or butter and maple syrup, though it can also be served with fruit syrup, apple sauce, whipped cream, chocolate, powdered sugar, or nuts such as pecans.
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Variations
A French toast sandwich made with ham, swiss cheese, and turkey is called a Monte Cristo sandwich.
Many New York diners make French toast using thick slices of challah bread.
In China, it is usually served with honey syrup. In Hong Kong-style western restaurants and cha chaan tengs in Hong Kong or Taiwanese dessert places, it may be served with butter and without a sweetening ingredient, and may be made out of a jam sandwich. French toast is usually served with the bread's crust, but it may be served without. It is called ??? (Cantonese IPA: /s??55 t?55 s?35/; Jyutping: sai1 do1 si2; Mandarin Pinyin: xiduoshì; literally "western toast", but actually an abbreviation of "?????", "French toast") in Hong Kong, and ?? (Pinyin: Tùshi; literally “toast”) in Taiwan.
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History and geographical spread
The precise origins of the recipe are unknown, but similar dishes have existed in many countries and under many names. It is attested in Medieval Europe under the names:
United Kingdom : suppe dorate
France : tostes dorées
Modern versions occur in many countries under other names:
Denmark/Norway: arme riddere
United Kingdom : poor knights of Windsor or eggy bread
Finland köyhät ritarit ("poor knights") when eaten plain or with butter, rikkaat ritarit ("rich knights") when rolled in powdered sugar, or sprinkled with it untill fully covered, and an eye of jam added in the center.
France : ameritte or pain perdu (literally, "lost bread")
Germany : armer Ritter
Netherlands : wentelteefjes
Spain : torrija
Sweden : fattiga riddare
U.S.A. : German toast, Spanish toast, nun's toast
U.K. : Poor Knights of Windsor
India : Bombay toast
Some people claim that this dish was called "German toast" in the U.S.A. before World War I and was changed to "French toast" because of anti-German sentiment. A popular cookbook from 1918 does refer to it by that name. However, the term "French toast" can be found in print in the U.S.A. as early as 1871. The Oxford English Dictionary cites usages of "French toast" in English as early as 1660 (toasted bread with wine, orange juice, and sugar), and cites an egg-based recipe of the same name from 1882. It has also been called "American toast" in the U.S., where there is a story that it was invented in 1724 by a man named Joseph French in a roadside tavern near Albany, New York.
In early 2003, the name of French toast was changed again to "freedom toast" in the White House, the U.S. Congress, and in a few U.S. restaurants, this time due to anti-French sentiment stemming from France's refusal to support a war in Iraq. (A similar renaming occurred with French fries, which were called freedom fries in those places. In reaction, the French embassy merely commented that French fries are, in fact, from Belgium.)
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