For inquisitive kids and kids-at-heart alike, the puzzle of where our favorite foods came from can be fun to think about. For example, why do they call it Eggs Benedict? Is French Toast really, well, French? And what happens to blackened fish and chicken to make it so smoky and delicious? These are just a few big questions you might think about on your trip to Peach Valley Gainesville — and inspired by the local Cade Museum for Creativity & Invention’s “How People Make Things” exhibit, which runs through Sep. 5, we thought we’d share a few fun facts about how your favorite brunch and breakfast picks end up at your table here at Peach Valley. Take a look.

What’s In A Name?

Many food mysteries revolve around the names of our go-to dishes — and each story is more delicious than the last! For example…

• According to The New York Times, Eggs Benedict earned its name from the socialite and stockbroker Lemuel Benedict, who ordered a hearty breakfast featuring poached eggs and hollandaise and inspired the Waldorf Hotel to add the meal as a regular menu item.
• On a similar note, the Chopped Cobb Salad is said to be named for restauranteur Robert Cobb, who was stricken with hunger around midnight and threw together a colorful salad with leftover ingredients from the day.

An International Appetite

Many dishes and ingredients are also named for places — but just how accurate are these geographic monikers? Let’s take a look…

• French Toast was enjoyed as early as the first century (or at least, a form of it was!) in Rome — and even though it did make its way to France, there’s a rumor that the “French” in “French Toast” actually refers to the name of an innkeeper, Joseph French, who named the dish in his own honor in the American colonies.
• Canadian Bacon refers to back bacon in the United States, because Toronto is where the specific cut of meat was originally imported from. In Canada, this type of bacon is called back bacon. It is also the preferred bacon in Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Kitchen Meets Chemistry

Science-minded foodies will enjoy learning about the processes behind familiar kitchen flavors! For example, did you know that the Maillard reaction refers to the browning of foods (from fries to eggs, pancakes, and so much more) when sugars and amino acids react with heat?

There’s no shortage of science, history, and other fun facts to learn about your go-to breakfast foods! Dig in and learn something new at Peach Valley Gainesville — because even though school may be out for the summer, the hands-on education never has to stop.