In France, Belgium, New Orleans, Acadiana, Newfoundland and the Congo, French toast is called pain perdu, which means "lost bread" in French. It is called "lost bread" because it is a way to reclaim stale or "lost" bread. The hard bread is softened by dipping in a mixture of milk and eggs, and then fried. The bread is sliced on a bias and dipped into a mixture of egg, milk, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. The slices are pan-fried in butter and traditionally served dusted with powdered sugar and jam on the side. Alternatively, it may be served with syrup.
In the "Ch'tis" region of the north of France (Nord-Pas de Calais), "pain perdu" is also called "pain ferré".
In New Orleans, pain perdu is a local variation of French toast. It is made from leftover New Orleans-style French bread. The bread resembles a French baguette, but has a crunchier exterior and a lighter interior. It is eaten for breakfast in New Orleans.
In France, pain perdu is considered to be a dessert, a breakfast as well as an afternoon tea snack ("goûter").
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