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Dr. Christopher S. Baird

What part of France invented French toast?

Category: Society      Published: November 13, 2012

By: Christopher S. Baird, author of The Top 50 Science Questions with Surprising Answers and Associate Professor of Physics at West Texas A&M University

The French did not invent French toast. Rather, it was Americans who gave the name "French Toast" to this dish because French immigrants in America popularized the dishe. In fact, French toast was invented long before France even existed. The first known recorded recipe for French toast comes from Rome around 300 A.D. The Roman author Apicius included it in his cookbook titled "Cooking and Dining in Imperial Rome". For centuries, the French themselves called this dish "Roman Bread". Today, French toast has spread to much of the world. As explained by FoodReference.com, the recipe was seen as a good way to make use of stale bread without wasting it. For this reason, many countries today refer to this dish as "lost bread".

Topics: France, food, french toast