french fries

[jimigorilla]

This has probably been brought up before, but in relation to this cecil column:
What’s the origin of French fries? - The Straight Dope
I’d like to point out that most Europeans would agree that ‘French’ fries were actually invented in Belgium. Cecil would probably argue that Belgium was a part of France at the time or something like that

[Chefguy]

@jimigorilla

This has probably been brought up before, but in relation to this cecil column:
What’s the origin of French fries? - The Straight Dope
I’d like to point out that most Europeans would agree that ‘French’ fries were actually invented in Belgium. Cecil would probably argue that Belgium was a part of France at the time or something like that

I believe this notion was debunked in a thread some time ago. Regardless of where it was invented, however, I will say the the Belgians have mastered the art of the pommes frites.

[Rhodes]

@jimigorilla

This has probably been brought up before, but in relation to this cecil column:
What’s the origin of French fries? - The Straight Dope
I’d like to point out that most Europeans would agree that ‘French’ fries were actually invented in Belgium. Cecil would probably argue that Belgium was a part of France at the time or something like that

We call them ‘French Fries’ to avoid the dirty looks we’d get if we ordered ‘Belch Fries’.

[SeanArenas]

When they started calling them “Freedom” fries (as a snub to the French) back in 2003 (re: invasion of Iraq thing) I just called them “Fries,” so I wouldn’t piss anyone off.

It’s a habit I still have today, I just order fries, and people know what I mean, I don’t think I’ve said “French fries” unless I’m making a point about in 5 years.

[SeanArenas]

Dex or anyone, I have a question about comma usage in paragraph 3 sentence 1:

@Dex

There is evidence that the potato was being cultivated in Peru and Bolivia, around 2,000 years ago.

Is the comma supposed to be there, or is the sentence more correct without it? (The comma after Bolivia, not 2.) If so, shouldn’t there be one after cultivated?

[SeanArenas]

I must like the article if I keep posting on it, but I have a question about the content now…

Dex talks about to french and frenching as they relate to cooking - did those terms as they relate to kissing come after the terms for cooking? The article mentions that frenching is cutting in long, slender strips…

[samclem]

@SeanArenas

I must like the article if I keep posting on it, but I have a question about the content now…

Dex talks about to french and frenching as they relate to cooking - did those terms as they relate to kissing come after the terms for cooking? The article mentions that frenching is cutting in long, slender strips…

French kissing appears in the language around WWI.

French Fries are a bit tricky. You find French Fried Potatoes in the 19th Century, but what were they exactly?

Barry Popik found this from an 1898 Good Housekeeping cite(sounds like our modern FF to me)

From GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, February 1896, pg. 70, col. 2:
>
>French Fry.
> Pare small potatoes and cut into strips as thick as the forefinger.
>Drop into boiling lard (using a basket) and fry until brown and tender.
>Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

[samclem]

Here’s a thread we did on this in 2003. Most of the etymological cites I posted are probably still pretty valid today.

Here’s a second one we did about the same time, which discusses Belgian Fries, etc.

I think this was the third thread on the subject.

[C_K_Dexter_Haven]

For the sake of completeness, let me repeat here what I wrote in the earlier threads on this topic. We don’t know exactly where or when the french fry was invented; there’s just no hard evidence, there’s only national pride and popular myths. We do know that the french fry was being sold popularly from push-carts in the streets of Paris, in the early 1840s. That’s our first real reference, and so the Staff Report was deliberately ambiguous about where it was invented, since we just don’t know. We do know that it was popularized (enormously) in Paris, and that’s where the term “french fry” came from.

I apologize, I wrote that Staff Report many years ago, and I didn’t keep the references or my notes, so I can’t provide the exact citation for the push-carts and 1840s.

@SeanArenas

Dex or anyone, I have a question about comma usage in paragraph 3 sentence 1:

@Dex

There is evidence that the potato was being cultivated in Peru and Bolivia, around 2,000 years ago.

Is the comma supposed to be there, or is the sentence more correct without it? (The comma after Bolivia, not 2.) If so, shouldn’t there be one after cultivated?

I guess I thought of it as a subordinate clause and hence separated with a comma. It’s arguable.

[John_W.Kennedy]

@SeanArenas

When they started calling them “Freedom” fries (as a snub to the French) back in 2003 (re: invasion of Iraq thing) I just called them “Fries,” so I wouldn’t piss anyone off.

It’s a habit I still have today, I just order fries, and people know what I mean, I don’t think I’ve said “French fries” unless I’m making a point about in 5 years.

May people have been calling them just “fries” a lot longer than that.

The “Johnny Rocket” chain of 1950s-themed restaurants serves “American fries”; I don’t know whether or not that’s a result of the syphilitic monkey’s fan club.

[samclem]

@C_K_Dexter_Haven

I apologize, I wrote that Staff Report many years ago, and I didn’t keep the references or my notes, so I can’t provide the exact citation for the push-carts and 1840s.

I’d be surprised if there is a cite that early for anthing resembling “french fries” as we know them today.

[C_K_Dexter_Haven]

@samclem

I’d be surprised if there is a cite that early for anthing resembling “french fries” as we know them today.

I worked with a number of food history references, including the Oxford, so it must be referenced in one of them. I did NOT see the original 1840s document myself.