Belgian Fries were invented on monday, April 9 in the year  1663 around 11h30 a.m. by Marie Van ‘t koot in the region of the Meuse (a small river in the south of Belgium).

Why are they sometimes called “French Fries” ?

Well, in those days in English “to french” meant : “to cut into lengthways pieces”. So “French Fries” was short for “frenched and fried potatoes”.

Today “French Fries” is used to label ‘stripes of  potato that were fried in a futile attempt to resemble Belgian Fries’ .

If you have a ‘list of things to do before I die’, you should add : go to Belgium to taste the real stuff and while I’m there, check out Trapist Beer, Hasseltse Jenever, chocolate,...

How do I make good Belgian Fries at home?

You don’t. Real Belgian Fries come from a Frietkot.

The secret recipe is passed on from generation to generation.

In our Soul Food Blog, whenever we say Belgian Fries we mean : Belgian Fries from a Frietkot. (In Belgium it is traditionally the man of the house who jumps on his bicycle round noon to get the fries from the Frietkot)

So, next time you overhear a discussion in an American Burger

snack-bar on French Fries or Belgian Fries, you can reassure them, their eating French Fries, something that’s not even close to Belgian Fries.