Why is it called French fries?
By Jenaisle
@Jenaisle (16568)
Philippines
November 22, 2022 4:15am CST
I was wondering why potato fries are called French fries when they are grown, cooked and marketed here in my own country. I think people call them French fries all over the world.
Once, a relative who came from the province ordered French fries on the menu. She was surprised to see that they were only fried potatoes cut into strips. Our province is the source of robust potatoes.
She was also wondering why the hot dog was called a hot dog when the meat isn't dog meat at all. 
. I didn't know how to explain to her then.
A quick search online gave me this:
"It's said that this dish was discovered by American soldiers in Belgium during World War I and, since the dominant language of southern Belgium is French, they dubbed the tasty potatoes “French fries."
(
If you were to rename the French fries what would you call them?
. I didn't know how to explain to her then.
A quick search online gave me this:
"It's said that this dish was discovered by American soldiers in Belgium during World War I and, since the dominant language of southern Belgium is French, they dubbed the tasty potatoes “French fries."
(
If you were to rename the French fries what would you call them?Stefan Bohnenberger is famed for having made a cross of gold from a pair of French fries. Titled “Pommes …
12 people like this
12 responses
@LadyDuck (502491)
• Italy
22 Nov 22
NO, we do not call them French fries in Italy, it's "patate fritte" and they are not called French fries here in Switzerland and not even in France. For what I know only Americans call them French fries. Surely because the American troops had them in Belgium, they speak French in that part of Belgium.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502491)
• Italy
23 Nov 22
@Jenaisle Here in Switzerland we have 3 official languages. Here in the south we speak Italian and we call them "patatine fritte", in the French part they call them "pommes frittes" (the same as they call them in France and even in Germany and in the in the German part of Switzerland. Just for your curiosities in Spain they are called papas fritas and in Portuguese batatas fritas.
2 people like this
@magallon (19279)
• Philippines
22 Nov 22
When i first came to Manila i always tell my college classmates that i do not eat hotdogs because i am thinking that it is made from a dog meat. I started eating hotdogs when my sister told me that it is not dog meat and she bought me one so that i can taste it.
French fries is also called as finger chips or fries or chips in other countries
1 person likes this
@CarolDM (203396)
• Nashville, Tennessee
22 Nov 22
I researched and her is the answer: According to National Geographic, Belgians along the River Meuse had a charming habit of eating fried fish during the summer, and then switching to fried potatoes in the winter, when the river had frozen over and farm-to-table made more sense than ice-to-table. The story goes that American soldiers who were in the area during World War I "discovered" these delicious rays of salty sunshine and dubbed them "french fries" because the Belgians who introduced them spoke French.
https://www.mashed.com/590430/this-is-where-the-name-french-fry-actually-comes-from/?utm_campaign=clip
1 person likes this
@rsa101 (40976)
• Philippines
27 Dec 22
Nice trivia there. I thought it was an original French food back then that is why it's called that. 
So it was still made by Americans but was made in Belgium which speaks French. I do not know what to call them as I am so used to calling them that way. Maybe an alternative would be fried potato slice may be an appropriate name
So it was still made by Americans but was made in Belgium which speaks French. I do not know what to call them as I am so used to calling them that way. Maybe an alternative would be fried potato slice may be an appropriate name
@yanzalong (19091)
• Indonesia
22 Nov 22
It's a good question but I regret to say that I have had no idea so far. Some mylotters will come up with good answers I am sure.
1 person likes this
@jstory07 (148734)
• Roseburg, Oregon
27 Dec 22
I do not know why they are called French Fries but I do like them.
@LindaOHio (222417)
• United States
22 Nov 22
We call them French fries here in the US. I would just call them fries if they had to be renamed.
1 person likes this
