French toast: the most anti-waste of all misappropriated desserts?

"French toast is the dessert of the poor," proclaimed Maïté, the famous chef from southwest France who recently passed away, in her strong regional accent. Listing the ingredients in front of the camera back in 1990, this pioneer of televised cooking shows made sure to point out that it was a way to use up day-old stale bread so as not to “waste” — because at the time, throwing away bread was unthinkable.

Without realizing it, by soaking dry slices of bread in eggnog-like custard, our grandmothers were already championing what we now call a “zero waste” approach — thrifty cooking whose main principle is to make something delicious from leftovers and avoid food waste. Today, that philosophy has almost become standard practice in restaurants, embraced by eco-conscious chefs who use every part of a fish, even the bones, and turn vegetable peels, once destined for the trash, into flavorful soups.

So it’s no surprise that in this context, French toast, with its virtuous image, is making a strong comeback on bistro dessert menus, alongside nostalgic classics like crème caramel and profiteroles. And yet, here’s the irony: French toast has never strayed further from its name or values. The talent for turning scraps into a treat and the proud simplicity it once stood for are now fading fast. On menus, the term “stale bread” is completely avoided — replaced with “brioche”, which sounds far more elegant. French toast has become posh, overly rich, and shamelessly indulgent, buried under mountains of caramel, chocolate spread, whipped cream, or ice cream. Maïté? She just added a bit of sugar and a dash of cinnamon. So, has the French toast of our childhood lost its way — just a little?