What do you think you know about French fries—except that you love them (maybe with some extra salt and perhaps ketchup)? Maybe you think, for example, that they originated in France (thus, the “French” in the name). Well, turns out you might be right—but you might not!
Although the humble potato has been eaten for literally tens of thousands of years, the evolution of potato to fried bit of goodness may have taken place in Belgium. Or it might have happened in Spain. Or it might have happened in France, after all.
In fact, there’s lots about the French fry that you probably don’t know. For example, what really makes those fries taste so crispy and delicious? It’s not oil (although that helps). What it is is water: Don’t rinse off the potatoes before you fry them and you won’t rinse off the extra starch.
What else is there to know about the fry? This graphic explains it.