Are French fries actually French?

In the US we call them French fries, but there has been a long debate on whether frites originated in France or in Belgium. The latter country has laid claim to the invention of the deep fried deliciousness, but Belgian historian Pierre Leclercq says that the claim is not true. He posits that French fries originated on the streets of Paris.

In the 1980s, a historian named Jo Gérard thought he had settled the debate after finding an 18th-century text that talked about a method of frying potatoes. But Leclercq rejects that hypothesis, calling it both fanciful and hasty. In a 2021 interview, the historian said that frites “was born in the Parisian street, in the hands of Parisian street fry sellers. And it was they who made the fried potato the emblematic dish of 19th-century Paris before it was exported to Belgium.”

Leclercq said the creation was a way to make a portable snack that was easily eaten while walking. Regardless of their origin, there is no denying that French fries are a delicious way to eat potatoes, even if not the healthiest way. Even though they may have been created in France, Belgians consume more fries per capita than any other country, with an estimated 18 kg per person each year. The US is second at 13 kg per person, and France trails with 11 kg per person.