Do you remember a few years ago when everyone in America suddenly rediscovered cupcakes? It was as if no one had ever heard of them before, and cupcake-specific bakeries popped-up in big cities causing people to stand in lines around the block in order to pay $8 for one little cake. The Food Network developed the TV show, “Cupcake Wars” where perfectly sane people seemed to loose their minds trying to out-do their opponents for the most creative and fabulous cupcake creations. Tears would flow from the chefs’ icing-smudged faces as they pleaded with the judges to have mercy on their “under the sea” presentation of crab-infused cupcakes or their interpretation of the Leaning Tower of Pisa with sprinkles.

Well, if like me, you thought the confectionary fad took . . . “the cake,” just wait until you hear what the hip culinary crowd has now “discovered.” It’s toast. Actual toast. Bread that’s been heated to have a crispy, crunchy exterior while remaining soft and squishy on the inside. A —hot—slice—of—bread. They’re going wild, I tell you.

And there’s more. Toast is now selling for $4 — $6 a slice, at upscale “Toast Bars,” located mainly in California (shock). There’s regular toast for $4 served with organic butter, and you can add designer toppings like Mediterranean-lemon ginger marmalade or hand-ground walnut butter. The Today Show took note of the trend and came up with their own “recipe” for avocado-chili flake-pistachio toast.

Considering a loaf of bread contains approximately 24 slices, each loaf can pull in roughly $144, reminding us that humans have a fundamental desire to be an expert on something, and we have been conditioned to think if we pay more money for it, then we must know what we’re doing. People with average intelligence drink tap water for free, but smart, healthy, good-looking people pay $2 for their water. Wine, cheese, cupcakes, whatever the hot trend-de jour may be, we want to know it all, and if the west-coast crowd is paying top dollar for their toast, then they must be very smart and know lots and lots about bread.

Southerners aren’t as quick to join in the food-trend parades because we’re far more common sense when it comes to our vittles. If our Grandparents didn’t eat it that way, we’re hesitant to try it. We know without a doubt we love fried chicken, grits, barbecue and okra, because they’ve been around forever. It’s taken us a long time to warm up to sushi, especially here on the Gulf Coast, where the rainbow roll often induces a flashback to baiting a hook.

Our choice for breakfast bread has always been biscuits, with the occasional venture into the more exotic cheese toast, or even the fancy-shmancy cinnamon variety. But we’re not fools. Six bucks for a slice of bread is for hippies in Californ-I-A, not for hard working, wise people in Dixie. Years ago, bagels made their appearance in the frozen food section of the Jitney Jungle, and being open minded, we tried them, but found it was just way too much chewy bread. It was like eating a whole pizza without any of the toppings.

I think one reason the toast trend has boomed in California is because they don’t have Waffle House out there. If they did, they’d know a great order of two slices of buttered toast can be had for around a dollar, and their delicious biscuits are only $1.15. Heck, for another dime, the nice Waffle House ladies will add eggs and cheese to your biscuit.

As much as I appreciate a good slice of toast, my favorite variety doesn’t involve bread, butter or even a pop-o-matic toaster. At the end of the day, when I swing on the porch with my sweetheart and watch the sun sink low in the sky, we raise our glasses and hear the “clink,” and I’m positive that’s the best toast of all . . . Southern style.

Leslie Anne Harrison is a contributing writer for Gulf Coast Media and The Sumter Item. She also writes the blog, Fairhope Supply Co. which can be found at: www.fairhopesupply.com.