Melba toast facts for kids
Melba toast topped with goat's cheese and tomato jam
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| Type | Toast |
|---|---|
| Course | Appetizer |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Created by | Auguste Escoffier |
| Main ingredients | Bread |
Melba toast is a very thin, dry, and crispy type of toast. People often eat it with soup or salad. You can also put toppings on it, like melted cheese or pâté. This special toast is named after Nellie Melba, who was a famous Australian opera singer. Her real name was Helen Porter Mitchell.
The name "Melba toast" likely came about in 1897. Nellie Melba was very sick at the time. This toast became a main part of her diet. A chef and fan named Auguste Escoffier created the toast for her. He also made another famous dish for her, the Peach Melba dessert. The hotel owner César Ritz is said to have given the toast its name while talking with Escoffier.
How is Melba Toast Made?
Making Melba toast is a bit different from regular toast.
- First, slices of bread are lightly toasted on both sides. This is usually done under a grill.
- Next, the toasted bread is sliced very thinly sideways.
- Finally, these thin slices are put back under the grill. The side that wasn't toasted before faces the heat. This makes the toast half as thick as normal.
Because it's toasted twice (or "baked" twice), Melba toast is sometimes called a "thrice-baked" food. It's similar to a rusk.
Melba Toast Today
You can buy Melba toast in stores today. It used to be given to babies who were teething. The hard toast gave them something to chew on.
In France, Melba toast is known by a different name: croûtes en dentelle.
A Bit of History
In 1925, a famous actress named Ethel Barrymore was given a special diet. It was called the "Eighteen Day Reducing Diet" by the Mayo Brothers. This diet included Melba toast. Because of this, Melba toast became very popular during that time.
See also
In Spanish: Tostada Melba para niños
