Belgium.
The origin story Despite its name and popularity, the French fries are not French. The origins can be found in Belgium, where historians claim potatoes were being fried in the late-1600s. According to Belgian lore, poor villagers living in Meuse Valley would often ate small fried fish they caught in the river.
Who invented potato fries?
It’s said that this dish was discovered by American soldiers in Belgium during World War I and, since the dominant language of southern Belgium is French, they dubbed the tasty potatoes “French” fries.
Where did potato fries come from?
Fries are first mentioned in 1775 in a Parisian book, and the first recipe for modern French fries is in the French cookbook La cuisinière républicaine in 1795. They became an emblematic Parisian dish in the 19th century.
What country is the potato originally from?
The humble potato was domesticated in the South American Andes some 8,000 years ago and was only brought to Europe in the mid-1500s, from where it spread west and northwards, back to the Americas, and beyond.
Where was fries invented?
Belgium
Common lore claims that the original fry was born in Namur in francophone Belgium, where the locals were particularly fond of fried fish. When the River Meuse froze over one cold winter in 1680, people ostensibly fried potatoes instead of the small fish they were accustomed to, and the fry was born.
Who invented French fries first?
The origin story
Despite its name and popularity, the French fries are not French. The origins can be found in Belgium, where historians claim potatoes were being fried in the late-1600s. According to Belgian lore, poor villagers living in Meuse Valley would often ate small fried fish they caught in the river.
Which came first chips or fries?
The Americans coined the name “French fries” when US servicemen discovered them in Belgium during World War 1. In Belgium they are called frites. The British, although not the inventors of fried potatoes, named them chips.
Why are fries called fries?
The third explanation, and the one which is championed by the Belgians, is that in WWI, American soldiers were served the dish in Belgium where they are called Friets. Because the Belgians spoke French, the Americans called it French Friets, which got quickly Americanized into French Fries.
Why were potatoes illegal in France?
However, French people did not trust the new food, which was used mainly for feeding pigs, and in 1748 growing potatoes was banned by parliament as they were thought to spread disease, especially leprosy.
What did Europe eat before potatoes?
grain
Fertile food
Before the introduction of the potato, those in Ireland, England and continental Europe lived mostly off grain, which grew inconsistently in regions with a wet, cold climate or rocky soil. Potatoes grew in some conditions where grain could not, and the effect on the population was overwhelming.
Who brought potatoes to America?
The ever-exploring Europeans brought the potato into North America in the 1620s when the British governor in the Bahamas made a special gift of them to the governor of Virginia. They spread slowly through the northern colonies, but had much of the same initial reception in North America as they did in Europe.
Are French fries American?
If you had assumed that the name “French fries” indicates that the classic fried potato dish hails from France, you’d be wrong. According to BBC, the crispy spuds were most likely invented in the country’s northeast neighbor, Belgium.
What do the French call French fries?
pommes frites
The French aren’t keen on calling their fried potatoes French fries. Instead, they’re called pommes frites, or, more simply, frites. Potatoes in French are pommes de terre (or “apples of the earth”) and fried is frite.
Is Belgium in France?
One of the smallest countries in Europe, Belgium is bordered by France, Luxembourgh, the Netherlands, and Germany. The country also has a narrow coastline along the North Sea.
Who invented French?
The origins of the French language can be traced back to the Romans’ introduction of Latin to the Celtic-speaking inhabitants of Gaul. The next key development occurred following the arrival of the Franks in the fifth century, whose Germanic language influenced the local spoken Latin (‘Vulgar’ or common Latin).
Who invented frozen French fries?
J. R. Simplot, a billionaire who grew up in a sod-roofed log cabin and dropped out of school at 14, then marshaled luck, spunk and inventiveness to fashion an entrepreneurial career that included developing the first commercial frozen French fry, died on Sunday at his home in Boise, Idaho.
How many types of fries are there?
While julienne and baton are the most typical cut, here is a delicious accounting of the different types of fries. There are 30 different types of fries for you to try! Bistro Fries: Served at bistros in metal holders, these “frites” are usually fried twice for extra crispness.
What do Americans call fries?
French fries (US) are called “chips” in the UK, and “frites” in French-speaking countries.
What do British people call fries?
Chips
Chips (UK) / French Fries (US)
Meanwhile, Brits call fat strips of potato that are (usually) deep fried and eaten with plenty of salt and vinegar “chips”. In the US these are “French Fries”, or often just “fries”.
Why do UK call fries chips?
The British Chip is usually a little more substantial than a french fry. The Americans coined the name “French fries” when US servicemen discovered them in Belgium during World War 1. In Belgium they are called frites. The British, although not the inventors of fried potatoes, named them chips.
Who brought French fries to America?
But yet, indeed they are—as two gourmets who loved fine French cuisine. Frequently today in books, magazines, and online articles, Thomas Jefferson is “credited” with “introducing” such French foods as crème brûlée to the American appetite, as well as . . . French fries.