French fry ban targets wrong country (no, it doesn't)

Yahoo News ^ | March 12 2003 | Reuters

[knighthawk]

PARIS (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress picked on the wrong country when it replaced "French fries" with "Freedom fries" on its menus to protest France's opposition to a possible U.S.-led war in Iraq, according to a Belgian fry expert.

Michel Mes, who runs the website www.belgianfries.com, said that fried potatoes were invented in Belgium, not France, and were only referred to as French fries in the United States.

"Of course, in good food tradition, the French claim to be the inventors of our beloved fries," he writes on the website. "Anyway, we modest Belgians don't mind the French claim, because we know that fries are God's gift to our people."

Restaurants in the U.S. House of Representatives replaced the name "French fries" with "Freedom fries" on Tuesday in a small ceremony widely broadcast with bemused commentaries on French television.

The fast food staple -- known simply as chips in Britain -- is considered a national treasure in Belgium, where "pommes frites" are sold on many street corners in shacks known as "fritures" and are generally served with mayonnaise.

Historians are divided on its origin but agree it became a popular dish in both Belgium and France during the 19th century.

According to legend, American soldiers stationed in French-speaking Belgium or France during World War One brought back a taste for fries, which were subsequently associated with Gallic culture in the United States. Mes said this was a myth.

"In fact, the explanation is quite simple. In English, 'to french' means (or at least meant) 'to cut into lengthwise pieces'," he explained. "So logically, French fries is short for 'frenched and fried' potatoes."

Such distinctions may not matter much to members of the U.S. Congress, which has taken no such symbolic step against Belgium.

Belgium has stood up against the United States on several occasions during the crisis over Iraq, joining France and Germany last month in briefly blocking a request to NATO to protect Turkey in the event of war in Iraq.

[knighthawk]

Now that what I call swatting two flies with one blow, the French and Belgians.

[knighthawk]

Europe-list

If people want on or off this list, please let me know.

[UncleSamUSA]

Memo to Belgium: SHUT UP, YOU LITTLE TWERP.

[Question_Assumptions]

As if French dressing has anything to do with France, either. I'm reminded of a certain scene in the movie Better Off Dead...

[debg]

memo: add Belgian waffles to banned list

[gunnedah]

You are so wrong, Al Gore invented French Fries!

[UncleSamUSA]

No, I think Al Gore invented Belgium.

[Jemian]

I gotta wonder about any country that serves mayonaise with freedom fries. Yeech!

[jellybean]

As a show of support I've given up French kissing for the duration. I know it's a sacrifice, but I'm willing to do my part.

Geeesh...if only... :(

[dfwgator]

So what do we call Belgian Waffles or Brussels Sprouts now?

[Blackyce]

In light of Belgium's recent conduct, I think its only fair that we continue to call Brussels sprouts, Brussels sprouts.

[Wonder Warthog]

"Anyway, we modest Belgians don't mind the French claim, because we know that fries are God's gift to our people."

And like most everything else in Europe these days, they came about from American ingenuity (so the domestication of the potato was Pre-Columbian--it's STILL an American "product").

[Blackyce]

Also, I've been waiting for Congress to change hamburgers to Freedom Sandwiches

[Conspiracy Guy]

I still like the term French Toast. I see a picture of Chirac and his band of clowns after lighting a gas grill that was been customized by some of their German friends. They look like used matches with a caption "Le Boom".

[Jackie]

FREEDOM POODLE

[facedown]

So what do we call Belgian Waffles or Brussels Sprouts now?

Inedible!

[Renfield]

Why aren't we calling these "surrender-monkey fries", instead of "freedom fries"?

[riri]

I say we sent a few planes over a drop crates full of Heinz ketchup and white tennis shoes. That'd surely piss 'em off.

[riri]

a=and

[Sci Fi Guy]

I gotta wonder about any country that serves mayonaise with freedom fries. Yeech!

Hey Now! That's how I like them. I discovered pomme frites with mayo when I was stationed in Germany. Yum yum! But in Belgium they actually offer a variety of different sauces for the fries, not just catsup or mayo.