DAYS OF THE YEAR
Whether you call them ‘French Fries’, ‘Chips’, Finger Chips,
or French-Fried Potatoes, this delicious treat is loved around the world, and
French Fries day celebrates them.
Not to be confused with the American ‘Chips’,
which are thinly sliced pieces of potato fried until crisp, French Fries are
the delicious result of ‘batons’ of potato cut to various thicknesses and then
fried in oil.The outside of this staple companion food to hamburgers and other
grease-ball favorites generally have a golden texture, varying from soft to
crispy, and most often served with little more than a dusting of salt.
History of the French Fry
French Fries are one of many foods whose name is most
misleading, as the origins of this fat fried food seem to be in Belgium. The
story of their creation can be found in a family manuscript dated 1781, which
reveals that potatoes were originally cut into the shape of fish and served in
lieu of the fish normally caught in a series of small villages in Belgium.It
seems the river had frozen over and the fish they normally caught and fried
were unable to be caught.
Why they’re called French is often attributed to troops
coming over during World War I who got their hands on Belgian Fries.The
official language of the Belgian army at that time was French, and as a result
the men thought they were in France rather than Belgium.Interestingly, in that
region of the world, they are still called “Flemish Fries” to further
complicate matters.Now these treats are loved the world round, even becoming
the ‘national snack’ of the Netherlands.
How to Celebrate French Fries Day
With the popularity of French Fry, it’s not surprising that
the world has come up with as many different varieties of this delicious food
as you could imagine.So one of the best ways to celebrate French Fries Day is
to host a party dedicated to celebrating the international menu the fried
potato has created.The simplest variation is simply to put chopped raw onions
in some ketchup, and eat them up like they do in the Netherlands.For the more
adventurous, try some of the varieties below!