Melba toast is a very ry, crisp, thinly sliced toast often served with soups and salads or topped with either melted cheese or pâté. It is named after Dame Nellie Melba, the stage name of Australian opera singer Helen Porter Mitchell. The term is thought to date back to 1897, a year when the singer was very ill and this kind of toast became a staple of her diet. The toast was created for her by chef Auguste Escoffier, a big fan of her, who also created the Peach Melba dessert. The hotel proprietor César Ritz supposedly named it in a conversation with Escoffier.