The Story of Friets

A very popular and tasty snack, Belgium's infamous friets (aka French fries) were invented here and not it France. I heard this story at dinner the other night. I don't know how true it is, but the source of my story is Belgian and a very good story teller.

Long ago when the rivers were frozen, fisherman would cut and carve potatoes to look like fish. They did this for the children, maybe they are long and skinny because they are supposed to look like smelts or something similar. They cooked these the way they would cook the fish, in a little bit of oil.

Maybe they looked like this?

The term "French" fries came to be during World War I, when American (or Allied) forces came to liberate France and Belgium. The Americans heard French being spoken so they assumed they were in France and that these little crunchy potatoes were a French delicacy, and the name stuck!

Friets are double fried for their crunchy texture, and I've "heard" that the most delicious friets use horse fat as a secret ingredient. I don't know if that is true or not, it certainly could be a rumor...

I recommend that you eat your friets with mayonaise, curry or samurai sauce - a spicy sauce with a horseraddish-y taste. Also, friets taste so good with fresh chopped onions sprinkled on the top.

I made this fish the other day at Café Bricolé.

Isn't he cute?