Why do they call french fries,"FRENCH" if they are not French?

Question

Just wondering.

Answer 1

Origin
One proposed explanation of the origin of the North American name of the dish is that it derives from potatoes that have been "fried in the French manner". The English verb fry is ambiguous: it can refer to both to sautéing and to deep-fat frying, while the French pommes frites or patates frites ("fried potatoes") refers unambiguously to deep frying. Thomas Jefferson, famous for including (then relatively unknown in America) European, especially French, cuisine in his writings and recipes, referred to fried potatoes in this same manner. The Japanese convention is the same as that of French, with the dish referred to as "fried potato".

A speculative theory is that the word "French" in "French fries" may refer to potatoes which are French-cut (julienned), with a later derived verb from this term, "to French," which means "to cut in thin lengthwise strips before cooking" (Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Ed.) . It is true that "to French" is defined as "to prepare, as a chop, by partially cutting the meat from the shank and leaving bare the bone so as to fit it for convenient handling" (Oxford English Dictionary). However, the verb "to French" did not start appearing until after "French fried potatoes" had appeared in the English-speaking world (see History).

Other accounts say that they were once called 'German fries' but the name was changed either for political reasons (Germany was the enemy of the United States and Allied forces during WWI and WWII) or for simple historical reasons (a traditional theory poses that it was in France during World War I that American soldiers first encountered the dish). This seems unlikely, as Germany was not as famous for its "French fries" as other European countries, in addition to the fact that German immigrants did not seem to bring the dish over to the United States.

The Belgians are noted for claiming that French fries are Belgian in origin, but have presented no absolute evidence; the French have also been cited as possible creators of the dish, though most in France associate fries with Belgium. The Spanish claim that the dish was invented in Spain, the first European country in which the potato appeared via the New World colonies, and then spread to Belgium which was then under Spanish rule. However, as Belgian immigrants lived in Spain at the time, it may have well been a 'Spanish' dish invented by a Belgian chef. Whether or not French fries were invented in Belgium or Spain, they have become Belgium's national dish, making belgians their "symbolic" creators, at least for the rest of Europe.

French fries have gained international prominence perhaps partly due to their pre-eminence in fast-food menus, propagated by fast-food chains like McDonald's and Burger King (Hungry Jacks in Australia). This came about through the introduction of the frozen French fry invented by the J.R. Simplot Company in the early 1950's. Prior to the legendary handshake deal between Ray Kroc of McDonald's and Jack Simplot of the J.R. Simplot Company, fries were hand cut and peeled in the back of McDonald's stores, but the advent of the frozen product dovetailed with Kroc's need for quick prep products and expansion of his new franchise across America. In America, French fries are typically served with hamburgers, a latter-day descendant of the French "steak-frites" combination. They are also often eaten with meat, fish, and vegetables or by themselves. They also make up half of the classic food combinations fish and chips and "moules-frites", a popular Belgian dish consisting of steamed mussels and French fries.

Answer 2

Having read a bunch here and there over some time, I have decided that French fried potatoes were in fact invented by the French, and are called French fries, instead of just fried potatoes or deepfried potatoes, because a way of slicing vegetables in thin strips has been called Frenching for a long time, because again, the French invented it for cooking.

Since there is no separate term for regular frying and deep frying, other than that, in English and since the potatoes in question were Frenched, we get French fries as our term. They are 'chips' elsewhere, and are usually thicker.

Answer 3

They don't call them French fries because of nationality. They're called "French" because the way you slice the potato to make French fries is called "Frenching". Hence, you get "French-cut" potatoes. That's how they got the name French fries.

Answer 4

becuase the french helped americans in the war and named them after the french for helping them.sence the french are not helping the americans in this war that is why we are hearing about freedom fries...

Answer 5

They are French. The French invented this process of deep frying potato pieces.

Answer 6

I heard, the American soldiers ate these "fried potatoes" in France. When they returned home, they wanted those fried potatoes which they called "french fries".

Answer 7

I get regular fries and French them myself !

Answer 8

The Neocons need something French to make a totally worthless gesture of Patriotism.

If not for this fragile (false) symbol of France, who knows what they would have done? Best let it be "French" before they take our wine, bottled water and cheeses away.

Answer 9

the same reason they call it "french toast", it isnt really french, they would have a hissy fit.

One proposed explanation of the origin of the North American name of the dish is that it derives from potatoes that have been "fried in the French manner"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_fries#Origin

Answer 10

french style deep fried.

Answer 11

maybe french fries fried for the first time in franch