The origins of torrejas date back to the 1st century. At that time, a Roman named Marco Gavio Apicius wrote in a recipe book something about bread dipped in milk.
The mystery
However, the good Marco didn't mention anything about coating the bread in egg or soaking it in sweet.
Later, around the 1300s, a French chef named Guillaume Tirel wrote a recipe more similar to our traditional torrejas, only he called them “golden toasts.” These toasts are cooked in the same way as the traditional dessert: with beaten egg, a hot skillet, and a bit of sugar.
Nevertheless, torrejas did not reach us either from France or Rome. It was the Spaniards who, during the Conquest era, brought this delicious dish to Mexico.
In antiquity
They were already making torrejas from the 1400s and did so especially during Holy Week. It’s not entirely clear why they ate this dessert at that particular time of year, but there is a theory about it.
This theory suggests that people prepared the dessert to use up leftover bread during Lent (since they couldn't eat meat, they had nothing to pair it with).
Another theory states that nuns began making torrejas to replace meat and fill their stomachs before Holy Week.
