chip?

So now that we have the burger tucked away quite neatly, we turn our rudder towards the mighty ship French Fry. Yummm.

It's not easy to get to the real facts as many sources piss around about where the damn name comes from. Let's face it, they're potatoes, and they're fried. French frying seems to refer to nothing more exotic than spuds cut Julienne style (the French part) and frying which means, well frying).

Oddly enough, the origins of this little tasty gem seem to point to Belgium. The story goes that back in the late 1600's inhabitants of a small Belgian village couldn't deep fry the fish from the local river because it was frozen over, so they went for the potato instead. Apparently, they were carved into a fish shape. I see the connection. Why the hell they were called French Fries might well be just a convenience thing. Belgian Fries sucks. The Belgians speak French anyway. In reality, the Belgians love their fries, elevating them to the stature of national snack. Some would argue it should be higher than that, more of a national meal or dish.

Allied troops who fought in Belgium during the First World War warmed to these delicious potato fingers and no doubt contributed to their popularity back home.

Next time we look at that classic English staple, fish and chips.

Cool potato names: Rocket, Arran Pilot, Red Duke of York, and my favourite, Pink Fir Apple. And yes that's a French Fry holder for your car up above.