Many popular dishes are preceded by fuzzy origin stories. A number of now global favorites resulted from accident or desperation in one long ago kitchen.

Few, however, set out to deceive the newcomer right from the start.

How St. Louis' toasted ravioli came about has been debated since it was first served up in the 1950s. Or was it the '40s? According to most versions told, the dish can be traced back to a mistake, although one restaurant claims that it was an old family recipe.

There is, however, one point of agreement, one known by pretty much all. The little pasta pockets are deep fried rather than toasted.

It is said this little ploy was the work of Lou Oldani, then owner of the iconic Oldani's (now the iconic Mama's on the Hill). In a nation known for burgers and fries, Southern fried chicken, chicken fried steak and a list of other items commonly dipped in vats of hot oil, his apparent reasoning for this seems a little curious.

As the story goes, Oldani decided "toasted" sounded more appealing than "fried." Perhaps he feared that legions of Italians would scorn his name forever if they knew what his kitchen had done to al dente pasta.

That toasted ravioli caught on is down to the interplay of textures, at least in part. Order a batch at Pratt's on Monroe in Mexico and you bite through a crisp veneer into an otherwordly cushion. The filling is smooth and creamy, gushing from the pasta weaving herbal traces across the palate. The meat is there more for this quality than any natural savor.

Behind the crackling patina the dough stiffens yet leaves a gentle notion of grain. Dipped in sauce, a fresh sweetness comforts the burnished shell.

Is it any wonder more than one kitchen would lay claim to the mistake?

Most people concerned with such things lean toward the tale spun by Angelo Oldani, the proprietor of Angelo's -- which for some reason employed a German cook with only a vague understanding of the English language and Italian cooking. When asked to drop some raviolis he tossed them into a pan of hot oil.

The original owners of Charlie Gitto's told a similar tale. Lombardo's Restaurant offers up physical evidence to support their claim. What they say is a 1940 menu from the place lists toasted ravioli. Of course, a circa 1940s menu from Oldani's also offers the dish.

The brother of Joe Garagiola pushed the Oldani's story, adding a lot of imbibing by a line cook to give its version even greater detail.

Perhaps we will never know. And that’s just fine.