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French toast is a dish of sliced bread soaked in beaten eggs and often milk or cream, then pan-fried. Alternative names and variants include eggy bread, Bombay toast, gypsy toast, and poor knights (of Windsor).''Oxford English Dictionary'', 3rd ed., 2006
''s.v.'' 'poor' S3
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When French toast is served as a sweet dish, sugar, vanilla, and 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 or pepper, and it can then be served with a sauce such as ketchup or mayonnaise.

Terminology

This dish occurs in various forms and under different names in many places, but this article calls it "French toast" for convenience.

The usual French name is ' () , reflecting its use of stale or otherwise "lost" bread. It may also be called in Canada.

History

Some authors consider the recipe for (translated as 'Another sweet dish') included in the ''Apicius'', a 1st-century CE Ancient Roman cuisine cookbook, "not very different" from modern French toast, although it does not involve eggs.

In Le Viandier, a cookbook written around 1300, the French chef Guillaume Taillevent presented a recipe for involving eggs and sugar.

A 14th-century German recipe uses the name , a name also used in English and the Nordic languages.

In the 15th century, there are English recipes for and culinary expert Martino da Como also offers a recipe.

In Spain, one of the first recipes was published in 1611 by .

An Austrian and Bavarian term is because the shape of the dish is reminiscent of medieval knights' shields from the city of Pavia. In Hungary, it is commonly called ().

In Ottoman cuisine, a dish of bread soaked in eggs with honey but no milk is called ''fāvniyye''.

Preparation

Slices of bread are soaked or dipped in a mixture of beaten eggs, often whisked with milk or cream. Sliced or artisan loaves cut to thick are frequently the bread of choice. Sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla may be variously added to the mixture. The bread is then fried in butter or olive oil 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.Archived a
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The cooked slices may be served with sugar or sweet toppings such as caramel, ice cream, jam, honey, fruit, or maple syrup.

Variations

There are many variations. The dipping mixture might not include eggs and the bread may be soaked in wine, rosewater, or orange juice, either before or after cooking.

International versions

Balkans

In Southern Slavic countries, such as Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia, it is called , , , or . It is eaten sweet or savory and paired with ajvar, jam, cheese, prosciutto, or sausage. In Romania, it is known as and almost always served as a savoury dish without milk, although milk can be requested at most dinners.

Brazil and Portugal

In both Portugal and Brazil, are a traditional Christmas dessert. Many recipes often use Tinto or Port wine.

Denmark

In Denmark, () is a sweet breakfast dish that can also be eaten as an afternoon treat or evening dessert. The Danish version of this dish uses sugar with cinnamon instead of plain sugar.

Finland

In Finland, () is a dessert made by frying slices of wheat bread soaked in milk. Sometimes, a dried bun () is also used instead of wheat bread. An egg can also be mixed into milk and if desired, a little sugar and wheat flour can be added. The slices are dipped on both sides in the milk mixture before frying. Usually poor knights are eaten warm with jam and whipped cream. In some lunch restaurants, a dessert made of bun slices is called rich knights. This is to make a difference to the poor knights made of French bread or other light bread. The name ''rich knights'' comes from the whipped cream crown. The poor knights have no whipped cream.

France

In France, ' () has a wide range of regional variations.

Georgia

In Georgia, it is known as ( ka, ყიყლიყო, tr). It is a popular dish for brunch or breakfast and is almost always served as a savory dish. Sometimes different kinds of cheese are also combined.

Germany

In Germany, () or ' were known since at least the 14th century (mentioned in ''Deutsches Wörterbuch).

Greece

In Greece, it is known as () or (). This dish is a breakfast staple that involves dipping bread in a mixture used for preparing scrambled eggs and frying it. It can be enjoyed in either a savory or sweet flavor profile, with a range of toppings and accompaniments, such as feta and honey.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong–style French toast ( zh, c=, cy=sāidōsí, l=western toast) is typically prepared by combining multiple slices of bread with peanut butter or fruit jam filling, then dipping in beaten egg and deep frying. It is served with butter, and topped with condensed milk, golden syrup or honey. It is a typical offering in ''cha chaan teng'' (Hong Kong–style diners or teahouses). Other types of filling that can be found are meat floss, kaya jam, ham, or beef satay.

Hungary

In Hungary, French toast is called ''bundáskenyér'' ("furry bread") and is often eaten with garlic, cheese, and sausage or ham. It is a popular breakfast item, generally eaten with a cup of tea.

India

In India, Bombay toast is a dish sold on the streets of Mumbai by hawkers and vendors, Bombay toast is also called Sweet French Bread.

Generally, the term "French toast" is used in India for a non-sweetened dish with no dairy added to the egg batter. The egg-soaked bread is fried and may be flavored with salt, fried onions, green chilis, cilantro leaves, and other savory ingredients. It is often served with tomato ketchup (often chili-spiced ketchup) as a condiment.

Norway

In Norway, the dish is called (). Once only a dessert dish, it is now eaten for brunch or breakfast, most commonly spiced with cinnamon and cardamom.

Singapore

French toast is a familiar menu item in the hawker centres of Singapore, where it is often part of a breakfast set with soft-boiled eggs or coconut jam (''kaya'').

Slovakia

In Slovakia, French toast is called ''chlieb vo vajci'' ("bread in egg") and is often prepared in a salted version. It is a popular breakfast food eaten with a cup of tea.

Spain

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.

or were first mentioned by the Spanish composer, poet and playwright Juan del Encina (1468–1533) in his , published in 1496. has the following verse:

The Netherlands

In the Netherlands, French toast is called ', ' (), or ' (). It is a sweet breakfast dish that can also be eaten as an afternoon treat or evening dessert. The Dutch version of this dish often uses sugar with cinnamon instead of plain sugar. ' are often associated with childhood, where a grandmother provides her grandchildren with a luxurious special sweet breakfast on special occasions.

United Kingdom and Ireland

In the UK and Ireland, it is also known as ''eggy bread'' or occasionally ''Gypsy toast'', a name that dates back to the 14th and 15th centuries. It was also called pamperdy or poor knight's pudding. Eggy bread can be served as a sweet or savoury dish. The other names refer to the sweet version. A commercial product known as ''French toast'' is sold in packets in supermarkets but this typically contains no egg and is more similar to Melba toast.

United States

The dish is commonly eaten with butter, powdered sugar, and maple syrup. Other toppings include jam, whipped cream, and fruit. French toast was popularly served in railroad dining cars of the early and mid-20th century. The Santa Fe was especially known for its French toast, and some railroads provided recipes for these and other dining car offerings to the public as a promotional feature.

New Orleans

In New Orleans Louisiana Creole cuisine, French toast is known as and is most commonly served as a breakfast dish. 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.

See also

* Egg coated bread
* 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

Further reading

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External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:French Toast
Egg dishes
Bread dishes
Toast dishes
Desserts
Roman cuisine
French cuisine
Christmas food
American breakfast foods
Mexican cuisine
Cuban cuisine
Brunch
Romani cuisine
Albanian cuisine
Peruvian cuisine
Guatemalan cuisine
Salvadoran cuisine
Honduran cuisine