3/9/2023 0 Comments French fries originThey can be simple shacks, moving vans but whatever they are, they fry frites. There are about 5,000 fritkots in Belgium. Now, those frites, where do we eat them? We get them at a fritkot. The frite rules! Now, Time For A Frite Tasting in Brussels I was having dinner in this lovely Italian restaurant and this guy, a couple of tables away, ordered Osso Buco – the real one, no tomato sauce that is – with … frites! This is to illustrate the extent of the roots – no pun intended – of the golden gem in Belgian culinary habits. Speaking of which … a demonstration of the “ versatility” of the frite. Belgians consume enormous amounts of frites, be they gobbled up on the street as a meal or nibbled on in the poshest restaurant as an accompaniment. Seriously though, what is most certain is that Belgians have made the frite an iconic element of their diet. But does it mean that frites originate from Belgium?Īs a matter of fact, I recently read that Belgium is claiming ownership of the French Toast! Kidding! The Frite Rules! And at the time, French being the official language of the Belgian army, GIs went back home and dubbed the fries “French” fries. The only theory I’ll support is that the Belgian military introduced them to their American friends during WWI. Aha! What does this tell you? Indeed, this means that this notion of “Frenchness” originates from someone speaking English. I’ll tell you something: they are called “French” in English. My honest opinion? I couldn’t care less and that’s why I call them “ frites”, under any circumstances and anywhere in the world because … that’s what they are, frites. You know, it’s typically one of those things that was probably invented in the street, somewhere, by a peddler, and which will never be firmly identified. There are multiple theories about the provenance of the golden potato stick but none seriously substantiated. Belgians claim its origin and French … don’t care, essentially. It’s called French fry in the English language. There is a good chance that, during your stay in Brussels, you will be sucked into some heated argument about the origin of “ that” thing.
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