German toast?

[Bruce Dykes]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Barnhart" <ADS-L at HIGHLANDS.COM>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Saturday, February 10, 2001 16:10
Subject: German toast?


> I've been interested in the origin of French toast and German toast.
> One speculation is that French toast was concocted first by a Mr.
> French about 1724 in Albany, N.Y.  The earliest evidence I've found for
> the term (for the egg variety) is 1882 (OEDs).  Several sources have
> mentioned the name French toast as an alternative arising from distaste
> of things German in the wake of WW-I.  They suggest that the name was
> German toast.  Dictionaries do not seem to have included German toast.
> Nexis has only a few examples.  Making of America has none that I could
> find.  Any suggestions for further current or 19th century evidence of
> German toast and for the origin of French toast (the egg variety) would
> be gratefully received.

Isn't French Toast known as 'pain perdue,' 'lost bread,' down in Lousiana?
Ostensibly from the classic 'use yesterday's bread' family of recipes...

Now I heard that on Emeril, and just because something is Cajun doesn't make
it French, and just because it's on Emeril doesn't make it Cajun, but it
seems a good lead...

bkd