It's Not French But Who Cares

How Do You Have Yours?


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I remember the first time I tried French Toast.

My uncle had been away on a trip with his mates and when he returned he brought with him a delight from the East akin to gold, frankincence and myrrh.

Nan made it for us and the world was brighter and to this day it's one of my favourites, especially on Sunday morning.

Today is International French Toast Day (who knew?) so how about some history.

History of French Toast Day
The breakfast favorite French toast goes by many names depending on where it’s being served up – eggy bread, German toast, poor knights’ pudding, Bombay toast – but it’s always made of the same key ingredients. Egg, milk – or cream – and bread. This delicious sweet snack is often served with sugar or syrup and fruit, and consists of bread slices fried in a mixture of milk and egg. In France, its name is ‘pain perdu’, which literally means ‘lost bread’, because it would often be made with stale or old bread.

Although we tend to call it French Bread, the dish isn’t known to have come from France. Some ancient Latin recipes from the 4th century mention soaking bread in milk before frying, and in fourteenth Century Germany the term ‘poor knights’ pudding’ was coined for the sweet treat because it was seen as an affordable meal for those without too much money to spend. Today, it’s eaten across the world as a breakfast meal or a sweet snack.

In Italy, there’s a savory version, called ‘mozzarella en carrozza’, which sees the egg-soaked bread sandwiching slices of mozzarella cheese before it is fried. Its name literally means ‘mozzarella in a carriage’. So you can have eggy bread for your main meal, and your pudding!

So, how do you have yours?

Mine is usually with salt and pepper. Yummo.

 

28 November 2017

Article by:

Cliff Reeve




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