# Frites w/mayonnaise? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 13, 2007, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frites-w-mayonnaise/422620 "2007-10-13T22:34:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2007, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frites-w-mayonnaise/422620/1 "2007-10-13T22:34:50Z")
Do people in Frnace use mayonaise as we Americans know it? The kind that is so popular as Best Foods and Hellman’s? I know about aioli, which is similar but different. I also know that they use mayonnaise, but I’m wondering if they have the same stuff we do, the stuff it’s become popular to turn one’s nose up at. Anyway, would (or does) Hellnam’s sell over there? Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2007, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frites-w-mayonnaise/422620/2 "2007-10-13T22:48:54Z")
Sometimes we do it here. I was at a bar/restaraunt last weekend where they served fries and some ketchup and mayonnaise. It was great. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2007, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frites-w-mayonnaise/422620/3 "2007-10-13T22:55:14Z")
The Engilsh often use mayonaise on fries, as do the Dutch. I have no idea about the French or your other questions. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2007, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frites-w-mayonnaise/422620/4 "2007-10-13T22:56:49Z")
Good French fries with mayonnaise is tres nummy! I like it very much. Death by calories, though. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2007, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frites-w-mayonnaise/422620/5 "2007-10-13T22:57:25Z")
While this one entertains a General Question, let’s fling it over to the Cafe. **samclem** gQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2007, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frites-w-mayonnaise/422620/6 "2007-10-13T22:58:27Z")
[QUOTE=Zoggie] Sometimes we do it here. I was at a bar/restaraunt last weekend where they served fries and some ketchup and mayonnaise. It was great. [/QUOTE] I like mayo and catsup kinda swirled together on fries. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2007, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frites-w-mayonnaise/422620/7 "2007-10-13T23:02:00Z")
[QUOTE=mangeorge] I like mayo and catsup kinda swirled together on fries. [/QUOTE] Which is your basic [fry sauce.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fry_sauce) I prefer ketchup, but there are times fry sauce fits the bill. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2007, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frites-w-mayonnaise/422620/8 "2007-10-13T23:06:34Z")
Well okay! Now that we’re over in the classy forum, what I’m basically asking is, would I find a jar of what I know as mayonnaise on a supermarket shelf in France? I’ve known a few French people. and it seems they always whipped mayo up from scratch with mostly eggs and oil. It was quite good, as fresh stuff usually is. they also made a similar dressing called aioli, which was a little more complicated. French food rocks! ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2007, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frites-w-mayonnaise/422620/9 "2007-10-13T23:11:43Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] Which is your basic [fry sauce.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fry_sauce) I prefer ketchup, but there are times fry sauce fits the bill. [/QUOTE] If you make that for someone who’s never had it, they will most likely love it. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2007, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frites-w-mayonnaise/422620/10 "2007-10-13T23:25:17Z")
[QUOTE=picunurse] The Engilsh often use mayonaise on fries, as do the Dutch. I have no idea about the French or your other questions. [/QUOTE] I say! We English use \*\*Heinz Tomato Ketchup \*\* on our chips at home / restaurant, and \*\*salt and vinegar \*\* if bought at a fish 'n chip shop. The Belgians and Dutch use mayonnaise. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2007, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frites-w-mayonnaise/422620/11 "2007-10-13T23:34:41Z")
[QUOTE=glee] I say! We English use \*\*Heinz Tomato Ketchup \*\* on our chips at home / restaurant, and \*\*salt and vinegar \*\* if bought at a fish 'n chip shop. The Belgians and Dutch use mayonnaise. [/QUOTE] Mmmm, fish and chips. There’s a H Salt not too far from here. A friend told me that their’s is close to the “real thing”. He also said that some Brits actually put tartar sauce on it. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2007, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frites-w-mayonnaise/422620/12 "2007-10-14T00:22:18Z")
Mayo is pretty much mayo the world round, whereas ketchup. . .Yes, you can buy jars of mayo off the shelf in Europe. At the friteries in Belgium, where the best french fries in the world are made (and were invented), mayo is just dispensed from a large plastic container via a pump. I got hooked on fries and mayo when I lived there. There’s nothing like them to be had in the US, at least not on any widespread basis. People who say ‘ewww’ to this combo probably hate potato salad, as well. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2007, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frites-w-mayonnaise/422620/13 "2007-10-14T00:26:14Z")
[QUOTE=glee] I say! We English use \*\*Heinz Tomato Ketchup \*\* on our chips at home / restaurant, and \*\*salt and vinegar \*\* if bought at a fish 'n chip shop. The Belgians and Dutch use mayonnaise. [/QUOTE] Sorry, my daughter-in-law is from a tiny village near the Scottish border. She uses mayo, and said that it was SOP in her village. I extrapolated from there. I had anomalous data points. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2007, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frites-w-mayonnaise/422620/14 "2007-10-14T00:29:18Z")
[QUOTE=picunurse] Sorry, my daughter-in-law is from a tiny village near the Scottish border. She uses mayo, and said that it was SOP in her village. I extrapolated from there. I had anomalous data points. [/QUOTE] Fair enough. 🙂 My own experience in London and a couple of other places is exclusively as per my post. It’s true that scampi is often accompanied by tartare sauce (but not the chips). ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2007, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frites-w-mayonnaise/422620/15 "2007-10-14T01:03:21Z")
[QUOTE=Chefguy] At the friteries in Belgium, where the best french fries in the world are made (and were invented), [/QUOTE] Any cite for french fries being invented in Belgium? ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2007, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frites-w-mayonnaise/422620/16 "2007-10-14T01:10:17Z")
[QUOTE=samclem] Any cite for french fries being invented in Belgium? [/QUOTE] Oh oh. Are we now going to flip this over to GD? I’ve heard this hotly argued before. Back in the silly “freedom fries” days, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2007, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frites-w-mayonnaise/422620/17 "2007-10-14T01:14:05Z")
[QUOTE=mangeorge] Oh oh. Are we now going to flip this over to GD? I’ve heard this hotly argued before. Back in the silly “freedom fries” days, IIRC. [/QUOTE] No. Just curious. If anything, it might get flipped back to GQ, if the only question was “Where were French Fries invented.” ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2007, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frites-w-mayonnaise/422620/18 "2007-10-14T01:36:12Z")
[QUOTE=samclem] No. Just curious. If anything, it might get flipped back to GQ, if the only question was “Where were French Fries invented.” [/QUOTE] The internet seems to be divided by the question, and Dex reported it as being invented in France in a SDAB (or whatever) column. I’ve had them in both places, and if they weren’t invented in Belgique, they should have been. No comparison. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2007, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frites-w-mayonnaise/422620/19 "2007-10-14T02:00:08Z")
[QUOTE=Chefguy] The internet seems to be divided by the question, and Dex reported it as being invented in France in a SDAB (or whatever) column. I’ve had them in both places, and if they weren’t invented in Belgique, they should have been. No comparison. [/QUOTE] How are they different that the fries we get here? My first experience with Belgian food was waffles, at their pavillion at the World’s Fair in New York in 1964. They were warm, with strawberries and whipped cream, IIRC. And delicious. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2007, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frites-w-mayonnaise/422620/20 "2007-10-14T02:23:47Z")
[QUOTE=Chefguy] At the friteries in Belgium, where the best french fries in the world are made (and were invented), … [/QUOTE] Snopes says fries were invented in Saratoga Springs, New York, which is what I’ve always heard: [See here.](http://www.snopes.com/business/origins/chips.asp) But I’ve always thought of fries and mayo as a Belgian thing. There used to be some Belgian food stands here that served them that way; not sure if they’re around anymore. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frites-w-mayonnaise/422620.md?page=2)