French fries are French?
Are French fries also French? Some claim that it was the Belgians who invented the dish. Villagers along the River Meuse traditionally fry fish. But during winter, when the river freezes, they fried potatoes instead. The dish was later discovered by American soldiers during World War I. Because the dominant language in Southern Belgium is French, people named it French fries. Others support the French origin of French fries. They traced the dish's introduction to the U.S. back to American Minister to France Thomas Jefferson in the late 18th century. While he was serving there, he had his slave trained as a chef, who later collected 150 French recipes. Not surprisingly, French fries are included in the recipe collection, and it was originally known as "potatoes deep-fried while raw, in small cuttings".
Reference: Are French Fries Truly French? from National Geographic
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