Ma Nourriture

 Pain Perdu is french for "lost bread" and is what the rest of the world calls French Toast. It originated in the Roman Empire in the 5th century and over time went on to be received and renamed across times and cultures.

In France, Pain Perdu is not simply a frivolous breakfast favoured by 5-yr olds. It has historic significance that reflects many aspects of French culture deeply rooted even in modern day France. 

Bread is sacred. 

We joke about the Frenchman and his everpresent baguette. It turns out that, deliciousness aside, the relationship he has with it is godly, noble, time-honoured and ... sustainable! 

• Bread has strong religious associations and is thought to represent the flesh of Jesus.
• It is one of the only foods eaten and held dear by royalty, nobility and peasants alike. An equaliser of sorts in a country passionate about "Egalité"
• It's been eaten with every meal for centuries, perhaps partly because of the religious association but definitely because France is nothing if not traditional and nostalgic. 
• During the country's many periods of famine and starvation, in wars, droughts or "Let Them Eat Cake*" tirades, it wasn't acceptable to throw food away, especially not bread. Food waste consciousness thus began and remains currently the biggest solveable sustainability issue we face, albeit for very different reasons. 

As we know bread gets hard after a few days so this process was born out of the need to make it edible using what was readily available - milk and eggs. And the rest was history, passed down the generations with typical French flair, of course. For example, upgrading to brioche (coincidentally thought to be the cake* referred to in the phrase commonly but mistakenly attributed to Marie Antoinette). 

The standard South African version with maple syrup and bacon would be considered a serious downgrade. And my personal favourite, with cheese and tomato sauce, would be considered a sacrilege.

For the sake of authenticity, and to avoid the wrath of bestie's highly authentic French current, I share with you the proper French way. Risking that very wrath, I've left it pretty much as he said it - it's more authentic!  

Best read in a sexy French accent. Enjoy!