VERY INTERESTING: FRENCH FRIES

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Things You Didn't Know About French Fries

Of all the great ways to eat potatoes, the french fry just might be the best. There's nothing quite like those crispy fried edges and the smell of the deep-fryer, or the way each individual fry finds the perfect balance of salt and fat. Despite how unhealthy you know they are, you can never stop at just one.

Fries can be jazzed up with fancy toppings or inhaled from a paper bag of greasy fast food. French fries are downright addictive and the perfect food for almost any occasion: a side at a cookout, a midday snack or a late-night wine session.

Those perfectly cooked potatoes are more than just an iconic American food; they're eaten all over the world. Even in countries where you can't find a McDonald's, you can probably get your hands on some french fries. The Brits eat their chips thick-cut with salt and malt vinegar, Canadians eat theirs drenched in brown gravy, and Belgians eat fries dipped in mayonnaise. No matter what your condiment of choice is, you probably haven't stopped to think or learn about what is one of the world's favorite foods. There are a lot of things about fries you may not know. Here are 20 facts to think about next time you order yourself a batch.

Fries go by many different names

In America, you refer to french fries as either "french fries" or simply "fries." But if you want a plate abroad, you might have to use a different name. In the United Kingdom, they're called "chips," and in France, they're called "frites."

French fries might not be French

French fries have quite the complicated origin story. The French, Spanish and Belgians all claim to have invented them — and no one really knows whose story is true. Those who believe they originated in France say that they were first sold in 1789 by street vendors on the Pont Neuf bridge in Paris. Those who believe fries are Belgian say that they are called "French" because Belgian food and culture was often appropriated by the French due to their proximity. And those who believe potatoes were first fried in Spain point to the fact that the Spanish were the first to bring potatoes across the Atlantic from the New World. So who really invented french fries? That's one of many food mysteries that may never be solved.

Thomas Jefferson introduced fries to America

French fries have become a quintessential part of the American diet, but who brought them here? Turns out, presidents have had lots of interesting food preferences, and President Thomas Jefferson is responsible for Americans' fry consumption. He brought them to public awareness after discovering them while working abroad as American Minister to France. His chef (and slave) James Hemings continued to make them for the president when they returned to the United States.

McDonald’s sells insane amounts of French fries

Here's something you might not know about the world's most famous chain: McDonald's outsells every other company in the world in terms of fries. Approximately 7 percent of the potatoes grown in the U.S. meet the same fate: they become McDonald's french fries. Maybe McDonald's fries are actually addictive, because people can't get enough of them. The fast food chain sells over a third of all french fries consumed in the United States, using its famous recipe that (for some reason) has around 20 ingredients.

The average American eats almost 30 pounds of fries a year

You're going to need a whole lot of ketchup. According to National Geographic, the average American eats nearly 30 pounds of french fries each year. If you're anything like most Americans, every year you've consumed the weight of a small child in fried potatoes. But honestly, why cut back anytime soon? There are so many incredible french fries across America left to try.

There’s a museum dedicated to french fries

Whether or not the Belgians actually invented french fries is up for debate, but they sure are proud of their fry-related history, nonetheless. There's an entire museum in Bruges, Belgium, dedicated to fries. It's called the Frietmuseum, and it features two stories of crispy, golden history. Visitors can learn about the rich history of potatoes, sample old-fashioned fries and learn the secret to making a perfect batch of fries at home.

Fries were first written about in Dickens novels

Charles Dickens, who was surprisingly something of a 17th-century "foodie," was the first author to pen french fries into literature. Dickens wrote about dozens of breakfast foods, dinner plates and pints of beer, and included an allusion to french fries in his 1859 novel "A Tale of Two Cities." It was the best of fries, it was the worst of fries... Dickens described the dish we now know as fries as, "husky chips of potato, fried with some reluctant drops of oil."

And as always have a chilled day from the Viking

Read More: https://www.thedailymeal.com/eat/french-fry-facts?utm_campaign=cli