One of the additions to my local grocery store in the past year or two is a new, expanded specialty cheese section. To go along with this, they also started selling more crackers, spreads, etc. A few months ago I saw that they'd begun selling mini toasts. From the names of the products, Joan of Arc and Egalite, along with the French flag colors on the latter's label, I assumed that they were probably French in origin. A closer read of the labels confirmed this.
I wasn't able to find out much of anything about the makers of the Joan of Arc toasts. The label read "Since 1918," but that about it for the history of the company. After a while of online sleuthing, I was unable to discern the name of the company that made them, even (assuming it wasn't also "Joan of Arc"). All I got was that they are distributed by the mammoth cheese company Saptuo, of whom I've covered many time before on this blog. (See my post on June 27th, 2020 for more info on Saputo's history.) The Egalite story (or lack thereof), was similar--no details at all about the actual manufacturer, and a bit about the distributing company, Gourmet Foods International. For that, Russell McCall started working as a Greenwich, Connecticut cheese shop at the age of 16. Eight years later, in 1967, he knew enough about the cheese game that he opened his own cheese shop. Then he borrowed money from his grandmother to open up another store in Atlanta, Georgia. However, due to the industry switch to wholesale businesses becoming hugely successful, McCall sold his retail stores in 1971. From then on out his company focused on importing and distributing European cheeses and gourmet specialty items. There are now 10 Gourmet Foods International distribution centers around the U.S. The firm sells cheeses, lunchmeats, crisps, crackers, and pates. And like I mentioned, I wasn't able to discover anything about the French baker of the toasts--not even the start date, like for the Joan of Arc ones. But I can tell you that "egalite" is French for "equality."
Egalite mini toasts: The toasts were about 3.5 cm square, or about 1.5 inches. They were a whitish yellow color, with a light brown crust. There was no real odor. They looked like tiny squares of toasted bread. Their texture was dry and crunchy. No strong flavor to them. With some fruit spreads on them they tasted better, but still not great. With cheese on them they were much improved, but isn't everything? In conclusion, there are many better canape bases than these. Unless you really like Melba-like toasts such as these, I wouldn't recommend them. Use a cracker or something to put your cheese or jam on instead.
Joan of Arc mini toasts: These were about the same size, shape, and color as the Egalite ones. Maybe a tad more darker yellow. The texture was also the same--dry and crunchy. And very bland when eaten plain once again. With fruit spread on them, and then cheese, the taste was improved, but like the previous one, the overall effect wasn't great. They were probably a little bit better than the Egalites, but still not enough for me to recommend them, unless you're mad for Melba like toasts. To me, toasting bread, especially twice, almost always is worse than just having the bread fresh, and nice and soft.
Since this post has been so light, I thought I'd go on a tangent about the food type itself. The mini toasts I ate strongly appear to be a form of Melba toast. Which, refreshingly, I was able to learn a few facts about. Back in 1897 the famous opera singer, Dame Nellie Melba, was ill while in France. A sympathetic hotel chef, Auguste Escoffier, came up with a dish that she could eat in her delicate state. It was a variant of rusk, or dry and crunchy twice baked bread. Auguste took some sliced bread and grilled it on both sides. Then he sliced it laterally and did it again, resulting in tiny, thin, hard and crunchy bread pieces. Hotel owner Cesar Ritz suggested that Escoffier continue making this concoction, and they decided to name it after Ms. Melba. Enough people enjoyed it that it spread to other countries, and continents. It's apparently called "French toast" in the U.K., while we Americans save this moniker for the soft, syrupy, breakfast treat. Escoffier seemed to have a lot of respect for, or perhaps an obsession with Ms. Melba, since he named three other invented dishes after her. These were Peach Melba (a peach, raspberry sauce, and vanilla ice cream combo), Melba Garniture (chicken, truffles, and mushrooms stuffed into a tomato, with a savory sauce), and Melba sauce (a raspberry and red currant puree). The chef also named dishes after actress Sarah Bernhardt, actress Gabrielle Rejane, and composer Gioachino Rossini. Nellie Melba had a long and distinguished career, living from 1861-1931. And Nellie Melba was a stage name, as she was born Helen Porter Mitchell, in Australia. The "Melba" from her stage surname was a tribute to her home city of Melbourne. Finally, I couldn't determine this exactly, but I think Nellie Melba might hold the record for most food dishes named after a person, excluding royals like kings and queens.
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