French Fries Facts | Facts about French Fries

Who invented French fries?

Belgium and France both claim to have invented French fries.

In 2003, US House cafeterias renamed French fries "freedom fries" to protest France's opposition to the Iraq War.

Thomas Jefferson served "potatoes served in the French manner" at the White House.

Belgian fries are fried twice and were traditionally cooked in beef fat.

McDonald's cooked its fries in beef tallow until 1990.

Poutine, French fries topped with cheese curds and gravy, comes from Quebec, Canada, in the 1950s.

Bruges, Belgium, is home to the Frietmuseum, a museum about the history of French fries.

In the UK, French fries are called "chips."

The Russet Burbank potato, developed by Luther Burbank, is the variety most often used for French fries in the US.

One popular explanation for the name is that "French" refers to "frenching," an old cooking term for cutting food into thin strips.