1. French fries would have been born in Namur
Russian, French, Spanish… French fries have many origins! But between us, let’s be clear, the fries are Belgian and even from Namur . A legend has it that the peasants in the 17th century fished small fish (small fry) in the Meuse, fried them and ate them like that! But one day, the winter was so cold that the river froze . No more fishing! But these peasants are intelligent. They replaced the fish with potatoes. They cut them into small fry and fry them! Why change a recipe that works? And BOOM that made fries! Thank you to the Namur fishermen !
Between us, this legend is somewhat controversial. But, no matter where the fries come from, the main thing is that they are delicious!
2. French fries or Belgian fries ?
If the fries are Belgian, why do the English say “French fries” and not “Belgian fries”? It sounds a lot better, don’t you think? In fact it has nothing to do with France! The term “to french” means in old Irish “to cut into pieces” . “French fries” therefore translate to “cut potatoes” and not “French fries”.
3. Two national fry days
No, you’re not dreaming. There are indeed two national fries festivals. In Belgium, it is celebrated on August 1. While in France , the fried stick is celebrated on the eve of the national holiday, July 13 . So these are two good occasions to eat fries! And to top it all off, there is even French Fry Week in Belgium ! It usually takes place at the beginning of December. We don’t do things by halves. In any case what is certain is that at least three times a year, you should no longer ask yourself the question: “What are we eating tonight?” “It’s obvious: eat a good cone of fries! But on the other hand, the right question will be: “With what sauce?” Mayo or ketchup? ”
4. 5000 friturists in Belgium
In Belgium, you can get lost in the Ardennes, you will always find a chip shop. There are about 5,000 fryers. In other words, it is a shack for chips per village! It’s huge but not surprising for the country of the fry! On average, 2 million tonnes of French fries are produced per year. Each fryer sells about 100 packs of fries per day. And yes, 25% of Belgians go to a fritkot at least twice a week and 80% several times a year.
5. Belgians are the biggest consumers of FROZEN fries
Belgians love fries! It is not a surprise. We are also the first consumers of frozen fries in the world! On average, a family eats 16 kg of French fries per year at home. We are also the world’s leading exporter of potato-based products. Belgian fries are sold in more than 150 countries . We can be proud of it! Good just for you, here is the recipe for real Belgian fries made by our starred chef, Max. French fries is one of the popular food in the Culinary world. No need of joining a Culinary Course to learn the trick, it is a very eash dish. A word of advice: between the two cookings, let the fries rest in the fridge .
