I decided
to do something totally different in today’s blog. Since today, July 13th
is national French fry day, I thought that it would be sort of fun to learn a
little bit about one of America’s favorite food. So sit back, relax, and get
ready to learn something about our golden food that you may not have known
before. One word of warning…. don‘t get too hungry!!
National
French Fries Day
~ Posted
on punchbowl.com ~
Today
is National French Fries Day! French fries are the ultimate feel-good food, and
there are dozens of different ways to enjoy them. Whether you prefer your fries
Cajun-style and spicy, sweet, crinkle-cut, curly, waffle, or covered in chili
and cheese, today is the day to celebrate this American classic.
Although
the exact origin of French fries is unknown, one theory suggests that they date
back to 17th century Belgium. The inhabitants of this region often cooked small
fried fish to accompany their meals. When weather conditions made it too dangerous
to go fishing, they cut up potatoes in long, thin strips (to resemble the fish)
and fried them!
Today,
French fries are a global phenomenon. Whether it’s “pommes frites” in France,
“patatas fritas” in Spain, or “chips” in the UK, French fries are a worldwide
favorite. Grab an order of fries today to celebrate National French Fries
Day!
Some
Fun Facts about French Fries
~ todayifoundout.com ~
- While the Belgians may or may not have invented the French fry, today, they do consume the most French fries per capita of any country in Europe.
- In 1802, Thomas Jefferson had the White House chef, Frenchman Honoré Julien, prepare “potatoes served in the French manner” for a dinner party. He described these as “Potatoes deep-fried while raw, in small cuttings”. (French fries at a White House state dinner…. classy.) This is one of the earliest references to fried potato strips being referred to as “French”.
- Burger King’s French fries (and probably McDonald’s too) are sprayed with a sugar solution just before being packaged and shipped to the various franchise locations. This produces the golden color through caramelization of the sugar when it is fried. Without this, the fries would end up having about the same outside color as inside after being fried.
- McDonalds is known to fry their fries twice, the combined time taking about 15 to 20 minutes. Once for cooking the insides and again for making them extra crispy on the outside.
- “To French”, in cooking, now commonly refers to cutting any food into long thin strips. The origins of this phrase comes from the late 19th century, so well after the term “French fried potato” was common.
- Between the 1850s and 1930s, French fries were known more illustratively as “French fried potatoes” in America. Around the 1930s, everybody dropped the “potatoes” on the end and just called them French fries.
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These are some interesting trivia about everybody's favorite side dish/snack—French fries! I never would have thought that a sugar solution was the secret behind Burger King’s golden brown French fries. Nice one, Rich.
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