Toast is a food made from sliced bread which is toasted by exposing it to dry heat. It turns brown during the toasting process due to a Maillard reaction. A common breakfast food in Western cultures, toast is favored because its firmer surface is easier to spread toppings upon, and its warm temperature when freshly toasted encourages the melting of butter which can then easily be spread. It was invented by 1430, and was originally used as flavoring for drinks; by the 1850s it was more commonly considered a side dish in its own right.
