Where does the humble French fry come from? No, it’s not France ...
It has many different names the world over – fries, chips, wedges, even ‘furaido potato’ – but only one home (apparently)
In this edition of our Origins series, we take a look at where the popular French fry comes from.
The humble potato fry is called by many different names, such as chips, French fries, wedges, or “furaido potato” in Japanese.
Yet where did this delightful little stick of gold hail from? A cursory glance at all its appellations and one can agree that its global reach is indisputable.
It seems every country under the sun has its own potato fry preference – whether it’s with cheese curds and gravy, à la Canada’s classic poutine, or with McDonald’s Shake Shake seaweed packet that Hongkongers swear by.
The most-loved variety of potato might well give us some indication of the place from where fries were derived.
Many familiar fast-food chains use varieties of the American Idaho potato. The Idaho Burbank potato fries, a gold standard among food chains, bake or fry a reliably crisp golden brown, while the Yukon Gold has a buttery moist interior.