What "Toasting" Someone Has to Do With Actual Toast?

The concept of toasting comes from putting a piece of toast in one’s drink.

Today, cultures around the world have specific rules and phrases for the common toast. 

In South Korea, one accepts a drink with two hands, and in Italy, locking eyes is absolutely essential. 

But how exactly does the word “toast,” as in dry bread, figure into all of this? 

The Origins of the Mysterious Egg Cream

Egg creams contain neither eggs nor cream.

Foods tend to get their names from their appearance or ingredients, though not all are so clear-cut. 

Take, for instance, the egg cream, a beverage that has delighted the taste buds of New Yorkers (and other diner patrons) since the 1890s. But if you’ve never sipped on the cool, fizzy drink known for its chocolate flavor and foamy top, you should know: There are no eggs or cream in a traditional egg cream drink.