Interesting facts about french fries

September 22, 2009 | In: Food facts

Historians state that potatoes were being fried by at least 1680 in the Meuse Valley of Belgium. Locals would eat small fried fish with their meals, but when the river was frozen over, they cut potatoes lengthwise and fried them in oil to use as a substitute.

French fries were introduced to the U.S. when Thomas Jefferson served them in the White House during his Presidency of 1801-1809.

In 2007 total world production of potatoes was more than 320 million tonnes, and about 2/3 were consumed by people as food.

One of the early references to ‘French fried potatoes’ was in 1894 in O. Henry’s ‘Rolling Stones’, “Our countries are great friends. We have given you Lafayette and French fried potatoes.”

Americans eat more than 16 pounds of french fries every year, which comes to over 2 million tons!

French fries aren’t called “french fries” in France. They’re known there as poninws frites, “fried potatoes.” And the potato itself is known as the ponone de terre, or “earth apple”.