The fried potato dish has its national holiday, which falls on the 13th of July. According to GRIT, a lifestyle magazine for rural areas, Americans consume the equivalent of 4.5 trillion pounds of French fries per year. Magazine.

The number beats the French fries’ crunchier cousin, the tater, with 75 million pounds of food consumed annually.

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Although Americans and eateries of all kinds appear to adore French fries, only some know how these potatoes were created.

French fries are a finger food typically cooked in oil. What fast-food restaurant serves the most delicious French fries? Think about chiming into this article’s comment area. (iStock)

Here’s a short overview of the background of French fries to mark National French Fry Day.

What exactly are French fries?

French Fries can be found in all kinds of restaurants across the nation. (iStock)

French fries come from thinly cut potatoes, which are deep-fried to crisp. They are usually served hot, accompanied by condiments or seasonings, and can be done with a soft or hard texture, based on the cook’s preference.

Most people eat French fries at lunch or dinner or consume them as a snack during the daytime.

There are many French fry varieties, such as the standard chopped, cut crinkle potatoes wedges and curly fries, waffle fries, steak fries, shoestring fries, cottage fries, and many more.

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The most popular potatoes for making French fries include russet, Yukon gold, and sweet potato.

Frying oils vary according to your taste, but they can include vegetable or peanut oil, canola oil, safflower oil, and corn oil, each of which has a more significant fire point than olive oil.

French fries are generally deep-fried in bubbling hot oils. (iStock)

Yet, many French fry makers use olive oil in their cooking. Look at Smashburger!

If submerging fries into oil isn’t feasible, Some cooks prefer the oven or an air fryer for the crispy snack.

Who came up with who invented the French fry?

Although “French” is in the dish’s name, several nations assert that they are the original creators of the fries.

In France, the French french fry recipe was published in 1795, using the cookbook of Madame Merigot, “La Cuisiniere Republicaine,” which translates into “The Republican Cook,” in English.

French fries became a most-loved Parisian street food during the 18th and 19th centuries, according to an article in Le Figaro – a French daily newspaper for the morning.

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Conversely, Belgium has a few people who believe that fries originated on the Battlefield of Europe around the same time.

Belgian fries, commonly called frites, are a favored summer street food served during events. (iStock)

The history of Belgian fries is believed to go to the late 1980s. Belgian journalist Jo Gerard wrote an article in which she claimed to have discovered an 18th-century family document stating that fries were invented before 1680 in the Meuse Valley, where people cooked potatoes as the waters froze and stopped fishing.

However, Gerard’s document still needs to be released to the public.

Some critics questioned the tale’s authenticity since potatoes were considered a New World colony crop and were scarce in the region at the time by working-class people, according to French historian Thomas Beaufils, who wrote: “Les Belges” (“The Belgians”). The Belgians,” a travel guide to the region.

Belgium-made French fries are also known as “frites” and are a well-known dish in Belgium.

There is an argument in Spain that the Spanish invented the potato because conquistadors were among the first European group to introduce potatoes to Europe from Peru during the 16th century.

Huevos Rotos, which is sometimes referred to by the name of Spanish broken eggs. It’s a dish that is usually consumed alongside French fries and sausages made of chorizo. (iStock)

Saint Teresa of Avila, one of the Spanish saints believed to have lived between 1515 and 1582, was known to have fried potatoes similarly, According to Paul Ilegems, a professor curator at the Friet Museum in Bruges, Belgium. The museum is devoted to the historical background of fries.

Russia also has a French fry-like dish called “russe” or “opaque,” which is believed to be related to a 19th-century food marketer known as Herr Krieger, who advertised the food with the name”Mr. Fritz, according to Navefri Unafri, a Belgian online site for fry shop proprietors.

 

Four amusing facts about French fries

Are you aware of these French frit facts?

  • Calorie count for a small portion.

According to the USDA, the “small” 71-gram serving of French fries has around 220 calories.

  • What number of French fries do you consume each year?

According to National Geographic, the average American consumes more than 30 pounds of French fries yearly.

French fries are typically served with ketchup and salt. (iStock)

  • How large will be the market size for the French french fry industry in North America?

The North American French fry market is predicted to reach $9.9 billion in 2026, according to the market research forecast issued by Allied Market Research.