Myth: French toast was invented in France.

French toast was not invented in France. In fact, French toast was around long before France
even existed as a country. The exact origins of French toast are unknown, but it isnt surprising
that humans seem to have come up with the recipe quickly, given that French toast is
traditionally made out of stale bread. Bread has been a staple food for most cultures since food
first began being prepared and, up until very recently, the vast majority of humans would have
never dreamed of wasting any food; thus, one has to find a way to make stale bread palatable.
Soaking it in milk and egg and then cooking it, seems logical enough, making a good tasty meal
while not wasting any bread.

The earliest reference to doing just this dates all the way back to 4th century Rome, in a
cookbook attributed to Apicius, and it is thought to predate this work by a good margin. This
style of French toast was called Pan Dulcis. The Romans would take the bread and soak it in a
milk and egg mixture, and then cook it, typically frying it in oil or butter, pretty much just like
its made today in many countries in the world.

This practice became common throughout Europe in the Middle Ages, including making it
primarily out of stale bread. Indeed, the name for French toast in France itself is pain perdu,
which literally means lost bread (it is also called this in Belgium, New Orleans, Acadiana,
Newfoundland, and the Congo, among other places). Its interesting to note, for the naysayers
who like to cling to the belief that it came from France, that before the French called it pain
perdu, they called it pain a la Romaine (Roman bread).

Another popular myth as to the origins of the name French toast, perpetuated in such
publications as Why Do Donuts Have Holes, is that French toast actually came from America,
specifically, being created in 1724. The name French came from the chef who first made it,
Joseph French. Supposedly, Mr. French was bad at grammar and when he named it, simply
forgot the apostrophe, as in: Frenchs toast, instead of Frenchs toast. Alas, if only the Grammar
Nazis of the day would have corrected him.

This story, of course, is pure fiction as there are numerous references throughout history of what
is now called, in North America, French toast. Indeed, there are numerous cookbooks from the
middle ages throughout Europe that even give the classical recipes for French toast. Further, the
name French toast pre-dates the 18th century, with the earliest references popping up in the
mid-17th century, before the story of the grammatically inept Joesph French. Before that time, it
was also known as German toast, Spanish toast, and a variety of other names, only some of
which had anything to do with the name of a country.

North Americans call it French toast for very similar reasons as to why they call fried potato
strips French fries. Simply that they were popularized in America by French immigrants. Note:
for more on the fascinating history of the French Fry, check out Misconception Junctions
companion site Today I Found Out: The History of French Fries

Recipes For French Toast Through Time:

4th century: Another sweet dish: Break fine white bread, crust removed, into rather large
pieces which soak in milk [and beaten eggs] Fry in oil, cover with honey and serve. -Cookery
and Dining in Imperial Rome, edited and translated by Joseph Dommers Vehling
1450: Take slices of white bread, trimmed so that they have no crusts; make these slices square
and slightly grilled so that they are colored all over by the fire. Then take eggs beaten together
with plenty of sugar and a little rose water; and put the slices of bread in this to soak; carefully
remove them, and fry them a little in a frying pan with a little butter and lard, turning them very
frequently so that they do not burn. The arrange them on a plate, and top with a little rose water
colored yellow with a little saffron, and with plenty of sugar.
-The Medieval Kitchen, Recipes from France and Italy, Odilie Redon et al (recipe translated
from Libro de arte coquinaria, Maestro Martino)
1187: American Toast: To one egg thoroughly beaten, put one cup of sweet milk, and a little
salt. Slice light bread and dip into the mixture, allowing each slice to absorb some of the milk;
then brown on a hot, buttered griddle or thick-bottom frying pan; spread with butter, and serve
hot. -White House Cook Book, Mrs. F. L. Gilette [1887]
1906: Cut bread as for toast, without removing crust. Beat egg slightly, add milk. Dip bread
slices with a fork into milk mixture, moistening well on both sides, not too wet. Cover bottom of
a hot skillet one inch or more with hot or rendered butter. Brown moistened bread quickly as
soon as dipped, first on one side then on the other in hot butter. Do not cook more than two or
three slices at one time. If cooked too slowly, toast will be greasy. Drain and sprinkle while hot
with confectioners sugar and cinnamon mixed together. -Every Womans Cook Book, Mrs.
Chas. F. Moritz [1926]
Bonus Facts:

While the vast majority of people throughout history seem to have made their French toast from
stale bread, the upper class members of society dont appear to have done the same. Most
cookbooks for this group tended to make it from very highly enriched white bread, which was
much more expensive than whole grain bread through most of history, ironically enough,
considering today its the opposite.

Other names for French toast around the globe include: Eggy Bread (Britain); Gypsy Toast
(Britain); Poor Knights of Windsor (Britain) (there are many more from Britain, but Ill just
stick with those three) ;-); Rabanada, served as a Christmas dessert (Portugal and Brazil);
Torrijas, served as an Easter dessert (Spain); Bombay Toast (Sri Lanka and Burma); and
Mozzarella in Carrozza (mozzarella in a carriage) (Italy).
In Italy, French toast is made by taking two slices of bread and embedded mozzarella in between
them, then dipping the sandwich in whipped egg and frying in the typical French toast fashion.
This version of French toast is then often topped with tomato sauce and cheese. Obviously this is
not considered a breakfast food in Italy.
In Scotland, French toast is traditionally served with sausage between two slices of French toast,
eaten as a sandwich. It is also sometimes eaten with ketchup in Great Britain.
In India, French toast is made without sweeteners, typically being made with egg, milk, salt,
green chili, and chopped onions and generally served with ketchup.
In Spain, they make it by soaking thick slices of bread in either wine or milk and then dipping it
in egg and frying it up. Toppings then typically include honey and/or cinnamon.
The Portuguese still keep the tradition alive of making French toast out of stale bread. They
typically make it as a Christmas dish out of stale slices of bread and make it entirely in the
traditional fashion of soaking the bread in a mixture of milk and egg, then frying it in butter or
vegetable oil. Toppings then often include sugar and cinnamon enriched syrup.
In France itself, French toast is highly sweetened and his served as a dessert item, rather than
served for breakfast, as in America and many other places.
As mentioned, its only been a recent thing for a large group of humans to commonly waste food.
French toast isnt the only food that seems to have come from the practice of using up every
scrap of food. Fondue seems to have also been created this way, being traditionally made out of
old hardened cheese and dried out bread.
Throughout history, in Europe, most food scraps would be taken and thrown into a pot that was
nearly always kept simmering to keep the food from going bad. This mix-stew made for quick
meals throughout the day and served as a great way to make sure every scrap of food would get
eaten.