Friday, February 27, 2026

What's French toast called in France?

While dishes similar to French toast are popular in French cuisine, they're known to the French by a completely different name.
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What is French toast called in France?

While dishes similar to French toast are popular in French cuisine, they're known to the French by a completely different name. The same holds true in French Canada and other locations around the world.

Two plates of french toast with toppings

T o Americans, French toast is a buttery, golden-brown stack of custardy bread, often smothered in syrup and served up for breakfast at diners across the country. But to the French, this foodstuff is known by an entirely different moniker. What Americans call "French toast," the French call pain perdu — a name that translates to "lost bread."

The origins of the dish can be traced to the ancient Romans, who had a recipe for aliter dulcia (roughly translated as "another sweet dish"). It involved taking bits of crusty or stale bread, soaking them in milk, frying them in olive oil, and then covering them with honey. This culinary technique was passed down throughout centuries, leading to the creation of pain perdu in France around the 15th century. The dish was a way for the French to revive stale ("lost") bread instead of throwing it out, as the moisture from the milk, oil, and honey gave it new life.

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