French Fries * Chips * Finger Chips * Fries * Frites * Hot Chips * Steak Fries * Potato Wedges
Hot fried potatoes, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, are universal worldwide, but once you’ve cooked them (and named them), the method of eating them varies from place to place.
• Belgium is considered to be the birthplace of the fried potato. Belgian fries (frites) are the centerpiece of the meal & Belgian chefs are very proud of their fries, competing to serve the best in their chip shops, or frietkotten.
• Fries in the Netherlands are cooked in the manner of Belgian fries, but Americans may be dismayed by the Dutch condiment of choice: mayonnaise.
• Although a variety of sauces and dips are available for pommes frites, rémoulade is very popular, not only in France, where it originated, but in Denmark, Iceland, and Scandinavia. Rémoulade has a mayonnaise base, with the addition of pickles, horseradish, curry, anchovies, or other flavorings.
• In 1957, French Canadian chef Fernand Lachance took fries and make them into a heavenly mess called poutine. Hot fries are topped with gravy and cheese curds, all served hot so the flavors will meld.
• In Britain, fries are called chips (as in fish and chips) and chips as we know them are called crisps. Chips are traditionally eaten with a sprinkling of malt vinegar and then salt.
• The most common way to eat fries in the U.S. is with ketchup, although that may be because restaurants rarely offer any other choice.
Of course, NEW JERSEY chooses to be original and regionally local trends have become a way of life and the “go to” junk food we can all rely upon.
• North Jersey: With Brown Gravy – or – Disco Fries (Melted Mozzarella & Brown Gravy)
• South Jersey & Philly: With Cheez Whiz
• The Shore: With Malt Vinegar
Personally, I believe French Fries are their own “food group.” I enjoy dipping them into BBQ Sauce, but must admit I am torn between Cheez Whiz (my college years) & Brown Gravy (my childhood). North Jersey Diners & Cheesesteak Shops in Philly do it right, but in a pinch, McDonalds fries will do!
How do you French Fry? Let me know!
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