You love to devour them with gravy and gooey cheese, enjoy them stuffed into a gyro or even dip them in your milkshake. But do you know how french fries became the global sensation that they are today? The secret to achieving restaurant-quality fries at home? Or whether they’re even really French?
In honor of National French Fry Day — that’s the second fry day in July, for all you uninitiated — read on for the contentious history of the simple french fry. Along the way, you might pick up some insider tips about where to score Fry Day freebies and discover a game-changing way to make french fries at home.
Chips, french fries or pommes frites? The fry’s history
According to the Smithsonian magazine, thousands of years ago, the Indigenous peoples of the Andes in South America were the first to domesticate many different varieties of potatoes. Indigenous Andeans enjoyed potatoes in many different ways, including in fermented and freeze-dried dishes.
Spanish and other European colonizers subsequently brought potatoes back to Europe, where someone had the bright idea of cutting these interesting new tubers into strips and frying them. But who?
The French, Spanish and Belgians all claim credit for inventing french fries. As National Geographic explains, according to one legend, during a particularly icy winter, Belgian villagers along the frozen River Meuse couldn’t catch anything for their traditional dish of fried fish, so they fried potatoes instead.
And why call them French fries? Another popular story, according to the BBC, tells that American soldiers first encountered the dish in the Belgian city of Namur during World War I. The soldiers started calling these tasty potatoes “French fries” because the main language spoken in that region of Belgium happened to be French.
Today, french fries are beloved by millions around the world. In fact, Americans alone consume a whopping 4.5 billion pounds of french fries per year, according to Mashed. There are seemingly endless dishes featuring french fries: poutine, moules frites and fish and chips are all favorites. Perhaps the most iconic American dish is a grilled hamburger paired with french fries, a crisp salad and, of course, lots of ketchup.
Celebrate National French Fry Day with freebies
Craving fries yet? Every second Friday in July, many major American restaurants have made it a tradition to give away freebies in honor of National French Fry Day.
In 2023, Smashburger offered free fries with any purchase, Hooters dished up free fries with any entrée and White Castle shared a special buy-one-get-one-free coupon for fries. Heinz and Uber Eats also teamed up to help customers enjoy free french fries on some orders.
And if one day just isn’t enough to celebrate your love for fries, then you’re in luck. Both Wendy’s and McDonald’s give away free french fries every Friday, or fry day, for the rest of the year when using their app and making another purchase.
A french fry for every occasion
The classic, most well-known french fries are simple rectangles, also called straight-cut fries. Crinkle-cut fries are a slight variation: instead of cutting the fries into clean rectangles, their edges are cut into jagged shapes. Here are some other tasty versions of french fries:
Shoestring fries: Like regular fries, but a little bit skinnier and longer. These are also sometimes called julienne fries after the cutting technique used to make them.
Waffle fries: Waffle fries are cut to produce a lattice pattern. Their round, crispy form makes them perfect for loaded french fry recipes, like indulgent enchilada fries topped with cheese, guajillo sauce and black beans.
Curly fries: Cut using a spiralizer, curly fries are short ringlets of potato-y goodness. They’re a staple at beloved chains like Arby’s and can also be found frozen.
Sweet potato fries: Chewy and mouthwatering, sweet potato fries can come in any shape. They’re delicious even when oven-baked, making them a healthier option.
While these are some of the classics, it seems like french fry innovators never sleep. Avocado fries,
A better way to enjoy fries at home
French fries are best served hot, crisp and chewy, which usually means right out of the fryer. So what happens if you want to enjoy french fries at home? Ordering delivery can be pricey, and also means that the french fries will probably cool down before they get to your home. But if you have an air fryer and some frozen fries, you have everything you need to create better-than-takeout french fries right in your kitchen.
Preparing french fries in an air fryer is not only healthier than deep frying them; it’s also an opportunity to customize the french fries to your liking. You can season them with your preferred blend of spices and top them with whatever you like. Guac, cheese and ketchup are some classic topping choices.
Plus, reheating any leftovers in the air fryer will restore that soft-on-the-inside, crisp-on-the-outside texture the next day — a far cry from those sad, cold fries kicking around at the bottom of your greasy takeout bag.
America’s favorite side
Whether they’re crinkle-cut or curly, drenched in vinegar or dipped in spicy sriracha aioli, paired with a burger or eaten all on their own, french fries are an irresistible side that tends to steal the spotlight. But regardless of how you love to enjoy your french fries, one thing’s for certain: after this deep dive, you’ll never think of them as just another small side again.
Kristen Wood is a photographer, food writer and creator of MOON and spoon and yum. She is also the author of Vegetarian Family Cookbook, Fermented Hot Sauce Cookbook and Hot Sauce Cookbook for Beginners. Her work has been featured in various online and print publications, including Elle, NBC, Martha Stewart, Forbes, Chicago Sun-Times and more.