These fries are cut and fried right here in the good ol’ U.S. of A.
(Unless you’re in another country, where this particular hamburger joint is considered, oh I don’t know, AMERICAN)
Whereas I seem to remember this being the only food I ever enjoyed at erm, Wimpy, or wherever.
Yes but they are French fries. That is the proper name. If fried potatoes are not cut julienne then they are called something else. Crinkle fries, waffle fries, shoestring fries, wedges, tater tots, homestyle fries, potato cakes, hash browns, etc. All are variations of fried potato not cut in the French style. Hence the importance and accuracy of the name.
When you buy French cut green beans it’s the same thing, they’re not green beans from France.
If I eat Italian sausage, that doesn’t mean it was made in Italy. It means it is made with seasonings popularized in Italy. When I buy it I know what to expect. Belgian waffles don’t have to literally be made in Belgium, or from Belgian ingredients, or prepared by a person with Belgian citizenship. It’s a particular style named for its place of origin.
You must be fun to watch shopping in the “ethnic food” aisle of a grocery store. 
Damn. So you’re telling me devil’s food cake isn’t made from ingredients out of Lucifer’s kitchen? And that Mississippi Mud isn’t literally from Mississippi? :eek:
Y’all are ruining all my cherished foodie assumptions.
I’m sorry, waiter, I asked for two more burgers.
I was in Australia a couple of years ago and ordered the Cheesy Bacon Fries. I really wanted to like them because cheesy bacon but meh.
I’m not buying French fries in the ethic food section. They are in the freezer section, right next to fish-sticks. Plus, I do know fish don’t grow into sticks and bread themselves.
And, BTW I’m always fun!
The closest store where I can get them is in Strabane, Ulster, NI. I can recall a ChiDope held in a bar that had been a top collection point for the IRA–and they thought WE were rambunctious. I may not be welcome.
Agreed. You need to double down and keep digging until you get out. That’s the only way. You’ll know you’re right when every other poster is calling you an obstinate jerk.
Sure, but those dishes definitely originated in those countries. French fries, on the other hand, are more ambiguous. Sure, they were popularized in America through the French, but it’s possible that Belgians invented the dish first, according to records.
But, even if they did create them, I’d argue that the fast food fry is not really the same dish as the original French fried potato. I consider it an American invention. As does a lot of the world, who call them “American fries” to distinguish them from other kinds.
“American fries” is wrong, and an ignorant statement by those unfamiliar with American food. America has many varieties of fried potatoes. Only one kind is French cut.
Whether or not the dish originated in France or Belgium is debated. But either way, the potatoes are French cut, hence the name.
ETA: I’d favor calling them “julienne fries” but that’s harder for people to say, spell and remember.
My grandfather fought with the Stroopwafel during WWII.
To me it sounds like a flotilla of edible zeppelins.
That is most likely not why they are called French fries. I’ve mentioned this before, as there seems to be a misapprehension that the etymology of the phrase comes from the type of cut.
Every reputable etymology source I’ve read suggests that they are not named after the cut, but rather the (supposed) country of origin.
ETA: Actually, let me also cite Etymonline:
Not a double post, you supersized it!
One that is racially pure and perfectly reflects the values of our beloved Fuhrer and Fatherland. Seig heil! (sometimes I scare myself).
What’s your problem, mac? It’s made with the finest Canadian vine tomatoes from the Niagara Peninsula, kissed by the mist from Niagara Falls, mozzarella handmade by Amish in St. Jacobs which at some point involves beating it with a stick in a wooden maple tub, and a chicken that was certified Canadian-born from a Canadian egg, and which before its untimely demise had been looking forward to about as good a life as a flightless fowl could have. What could be more Canadian than that?
Hmm, the Stack Exchange thread uses the same sources I used. Granted, I was referencing “French fried potatoes” which predates the later term “French fries”. But even that thread acknowledges that the potatoes are cooked in the “French style” which doesn’t necessarily mean that the name necessitates a French origin for the dish. I may have been incorrect about the French cut, though it seems far too coincidental to me that julienne potatoes are called French fries and all other cuts have different names.
In any case, arguing about something apocryphal is somewhat useless. Insisting that they shouldn’t be called French because maybe they aren’t is absurd. Calling them “American” is no less accurate.
Wow, I guess my eyes skipped over the first part of that paragraph…
…because I was thinking “Jeez! Don’t tell me you’re sticking two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions between those whisper-thin caramel/wafer disks! That’s gonna flop out all over your lap!” :smack:
But just serving it with ice cream? I recall that Swensens Ice Cream Parlors used to put a tiny one on the side of my SideCar sundae – it was the sidecar on the sundae.
Well, first off, buddy, my name isn’t Tera*… 
I must say I concur that the rant was well-written and humorous, if slightly misplaced.
–G!
- It’s Ralph, but that’s a whole 'nother joke…
I don’t see the issue with calling them “American fries.” The way American fast food fries are cut, they do seem different than anywhere else. Yes, there are many types of “American fries,” but, internationally, the first one I would expect people to think of is the kind you get from American fast food establishments like McDonald’s or BK or Wendy’s. So what’s wrong with calling them “American fries”? They’re different than chips, they’re different than pommes frites, and if I saw “American fries” on a menu in Germany, I would know exactly what they’re talking about.