By: Elona Scheeres
When you hear the name french fries, you may automatically assume that they are
French in origin due to their name. However, most historians actually trace the origin of
the iconic side dish to France’s neighbor Belgium. The legend goes that in the winter of
1680, Namur’s local river froze up preventing the villagers from accessing the tiny fish
so much of their diet depended on. To replace the fish, they thinly sliced potatoes and
cooked those instead, leading to the invention of french fries (or really Belgian fries).
Belgium has defended this story so much that they petitioned UNESCO to add the dish
to Belgium’s list of cultural treasures.
French in origin due to their name. However, most historians actually trace the origin of
the iconic side dish to France’s neighbor Belgium. The legend goes that in the winter of
1680, Namur’s local river froze up preventing the villagers from accessing the tiny fish
so much of their diet depended on. To replace the fish, they thinly sliced potatoes and
cooked those instead, leading to the invention of french fries (or really Belgian fries).
Belgium has defended this story so much that they petitioned UNESCO to add the dish
to Belgium’s list of cultural treasures.
However many argue that Belgium didn’t have potatoes or oil in the late 15th century,
and even if they did, peasants would not waste oil to fry potatoes but would rather cook
them. Another theory is that Belgium and France worked together to introduce fries to
the rest of the world. It’s said Belgian soldiers showed French soldiers during the
Franco-Austrian war of 1859. French soldiers then took the recipe back to France.
However, it’s said Thomas Jefferson had lightly fried potatoes in France in 1802 which
completely contradicts the Franco-Austrian war theory.
Yet another theory contradicts the first two theories. Belgian researcher Pierre Leclercq
discovered that Herr Krieger, a German cook trained in France, sold thin strips of fried
potatoes in the early 1800s. He described his creation as “Paris-style fried potatoes.”
A third country may be able to lay claim to “french” fries. Spain surprisingly has ties to
the dish. Spain has a dish called “papas fritas” which translates to “long thin pieces of
potato that have been cooked in hot oil” that dates back to 1673. This would make
sense as Spanish colonies in the New World were supposedly the first to have long thin
potatoes fried in oil.
Overall while french fries’ country of origin may be heavily debated, they likely
originated in Europe in the 17th or 18th century. French fries will likely forever be a
staple in cuisine worldwide as long as potatoes and oil exist.
