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Here are today’s five things to know about French Toast:

French toast was not invented in France. In fact, French toast was around long before France even existed as a country.

The earliest reference to French toast dates all the way back to 4th century Rome.The name for French toast in France is “pain perdu”, which means “lost bread.”

French toast was created by medieval European cooks who needed to use every bit of food they could find to feed their families.  They knew day-old bread could be revived when moistened and heated.  They also added eggs for additional moisture and protein.

In Scotland, French toast is traditionally served with sausage between two slices of French toast, eaten as a sandwich.

Medieval recipes for French toast suggest this meal was enjoyed by the wealthy.

Today’s Food History

• 1837 John Wesley Hyatt was born. He developed the process for making celluloid, the first synthetic plastic. He also invented a water purifying system and a sugar cane mill.
• 1863 Thanksgiving was first celebrated as a regular American Holiday.
• 1869 F. Semple of Mount Vernon, Ohio, was issued the first chewing gum patent in 1869.
• 1930 After a sandstorm in Morocco, there was a rain of mud in Paris and yellow sand fell in Spain.
• 1942 Coffee rationing began in the U.S.
• 1948 The first Polaroid Land Camera went on sale in Boston. This was the first successful self-developing camera; it took a photo about 1 minute to develop.
• 2006 Texas Republican state Rep. Betty Brown filed a bill (HCR 15) in the Texas legislature which would declare Athens, Texas as the “original home of the hamburger.” Residents of New Haven, Connecticut strongly objected.

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