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Toast is sliced bread which has been browned by exposure to dry heat. This browning reaction is a form of Maillard reaction. Toasting warms the bread, making it more pleasant to eat for some, and makes it crisp such that it holds toppings more securely. Toasting is also a common method of making stale bread palatable. Toast is often eaten with toppings such as butter, baked beans, cheese, or marmalade.

Contents 1 Etymology 2 Toasting methods 2.1 Using a Household Toaster 2.2 Other Methods 3 Preparation and use 4 Trivia 5 References 6 See also 7 External links

It derives from 12th century vulgar Latin, tostare meaning to "roast," which is a stem of the Latin word torrere which means "to parch, dry up, roast, scorch." The modern day word "toast" comes from Old French and first appeared in 1398. It means "to brown with heat." The word meaning "a toasted piece of bread" is first recorded in 1430.

The usual method of browning bread is by the use of a toaster, first used in 1913, a small appliance made for that purpose. For a modern toaster, sliced bread is placed into the narrow slots on the top of the device and the desired toast setting is selected (some toasters have more elaborate settings than others). After this the mechanism housing the toast may be depressed when the lever is pushed down, also turning on the heating elements.

The bread finishes its toasting cycle when the internal mechanism of the toaster is propelled up again. If the bread has not been adequately toasted, the lever may be pushed down again for another cycle. Originally, toasting was not this easy; one of the first home toasting appliances that was available would only toast one side of the bread at a time, so the bread had to be flipped over half way through in order to toast both sides.

Bread can also be toasted under a grill, in an open oven, or lying on an oven rack. Toaster ovens are small appliances made for toasting bread or for heating small amounts of other foods. Bread can also be toasted by holding it near but not directly over an open flame, such as a campfire or fireplace; special toasting utensils (e.g. toasting forks) are made for this purpose. Another device for preparing toasted bread outdoor is the folding camping toaster; holding four slices of bread, the folding camp toaster is typically placed over a camp fire or open flame. Some brands of sliced bread are specifically marketed for their suitability for toasting in their shape, size or slice thickness.

Due to its simplicity both in making and in constitution, toast is suitable for many purposes and is common as a comfort food, or as a baby's first solid food.

Care must be taken while toasting bread to avoid burning toast unless it is desired in that state. Burnt toast is possibly carcinogenic, due to elevated levels of benzopyrene [2].

Toast is commonly eaten with butter or margarine spread over it. In some countries a more popular practice is to spread a yeast extract, such as marmite or vegemite on toast. Other methods of preparing toast include to sprinkle a mixture of sugar and cinnamon on buttered toast, creating cinnamon toast.^[1] Those who prefer single sided toast generally prefer the toppings to be on the untoasted side^{[citation needed]}. It may also be eaten dry or with additional or alternative preserves, spreads or other toppings. Toast spread with jam, jelly or marmalade is commonly associated with breakfast. It is sometimes used instead of fresh bread for making sandwiches.

Toast is a common component of many breakfasts, and is also used in some traditional bland specialty diets for people with gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea, or morning sickness during pregnancy, such as the BRAT diet consisting of bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast.

Bread can also be cubed before being toasted, sometimes after being coated with seasonings. These toasted cubes are called croutons, and are often added to salads, soups, and other dishes.

• An old French joke credits the English as inventing toast as the only way to butter the bread in their climate.
• According to conventional wisdom, toast always lands buttered-side down. It has been found that this holds true when toast is sliding off a table, where both the table and the toast are of typical geometries, and that the toast is initially resting buttered-side up^[2]. This was confirmed by the MythBusters season 2 episode, "Is Yawning Contagious?". They still called the myth "busted", since randomly tossed toast as well as toast dropped edge-on would land just as many times buttered-side up as buttered-side down.
• The flavor of toast is different to that of bread because the starch in the bread is converted to dextrose through heat exposure.
• Comedian Heywood Banks is perhaps best known for his song entitled "Toast". In live appearances, he sings while using a toaster as a percussion instrument.
• English Singer Paul Young before becoming a solo artist was lead singer of Streetband, whose single Toast peaked at number 18 in the UK singles chart in 1978.
• In the cult television series Red Dwarf, Lister is harassed by a work-obsessed toaster who will not give up his relentless pursuit of wanting to make toast or other bread products. He is often heard asking if the cast would like any toast.
• The phrase "You're Toast" is used to refer to those who are about to suffer brutal damage at the hands of the speaker.

1. ^ ZOOM cinnamon toast recipe
2. ^ R. E. J. Mathews, Tumbling toast, Murphy's law, and the fundamental constants, Eur. J. Phys., 16:172-176, 1995. [1]

• French toast
• Toasted sandwich
• Texas toast
• Melba toast
• Fried bread
• Milk toast
• Toast rack
• Egg in the basket
• Tostada
• Bagel toast
• Kaya toast

• The art of eating toast