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.
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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: [p?? p??dy] ( 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").
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Preparation
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.
Maldives
"Roast paan" literally "Roasted bread" is a similar recipe prepared in Maldives. It is usually made by dipping bread slices in a mixture of egg and condensed milk and then fried.
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 (Chinese: ???; Cantonese Yale: s?id?sí; 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.
Portugal and Brazil
In Portugal and 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 to Brazil by Portuguese ancestors.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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