The days are getting shorter, the rain is coming, the gray weather is setting in… quickly, a comforting crispy dish, good fries! But who is the author of the French fries recipe? Indeed, you find these sticks of French fries cooked in animal fat or vegetable oil both in the national steak fries, the fish and chips British, than Belgian mussels and fries.
Belgian fries which, let us remember, are entitled to the honors of a world day, August 1st, but also its dedicated museum, the fries museum, in Bruges. In short, for Belgians, fries are Belgian. Except… maybe not. And this is where Madame Merigot comes in, which the bookseller specializing in gastronomy and fine palates, Henri-Daniel Wibaut, highlights in Madame Mérigot’s fries, and other curiosities from gastronomic literature (Editions 41, 23.25 euros).
Let’s rewind the story in our podcast “Minute Papillon!” », with Henri-Daniel Wibaut. The potato comes from South America and was brought to Europe in the 16th century by the Spanish. The tuber was cultivated in Flanders at the beginning of the 17th century, but in France, it was neglected… until Antoine Parmentier. Thanks to this army pharmacist and hygienist, who offered Louis XVI potato flowers in 1786, the potato became part of the daily French diet.
Written recipe or not, that is the question
But what about the fried potato recipe? According to the Belgians, fries originated in the middle of the 17th century, in the area around Namur. Henri-Daniel Wibaut reports, however, that the recipe for the pomme frite is detailed in The Republican Cook, cookbook devoted exclusively to potatoes, written by Madame Mérigot, and published in 1795. A recipe that should make everyone agree: the recipe for the fries is French.
But would this Franco-Belgian quarrel be in vain? Because, as Henri-Daniel Wibaut points out, the recipe for potato fritters already appears in the book Discourse Concerning the improvement of a potatoepublished in London in 1733. Could it be the British are the masters of fries?
The mystery of the origins of the fry deepens, as the inhabitants of Nacimiento, in central Chile, also claim the paternity of this inexpensive dish. They are based on the story of Francisco Núñez de Pineda y Bascuñán, a 17th century soldier and writer. In his chronicle of his life in captivity in Chile (1629), the soldier mentions a dish of fried potatoes cooked by the Mapuches. A mention that comes at the right time for the manager of the Nacimiento tourist office, delighted to introduce his municipality to the whole world, thanks to the fries.
Quoted by the Chilean daily The Tribuna, Javier Arredondo believes that the dish cited by Francisco Núñez de Pineda y Bascuñán must have differed from the sticks of fries we know today, Mapuche fries rather resembling “potatoes cut horizontally, cooked and dipped in flour then fried in fat.” Any arguments to definitively close the debate? Listen to “Minute Papillon!” » to get an idea!
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