1 August is international Belgian fries day. Why this date? Good question! Nothing has been written about it. But it's a great opportunity to enjoy this jewel of our gastronomy and why not discover its museum. And yes, this is Belgium, and fries deserve their own museum.
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We won't go into the origins of the fry. Even though all over the world people talk about "French fries", that expression does not have French origins but rather comes from Irish dialect to French which translates as 'to cut'.
One thing is sure, that the fry is particularly popular in our country and it must be prepared by the book. The type of potato (bintje), the size (1 cm), the cooking method (temperature), the frying fat (beef dripping), mayonnaise, fritkot (chip shop), cornet (cone) ... a Belgian fry is an art form.
At the Frietmuseum (Fry Museum), founded in Bruges in 2008, you can learn more about this small piece of potato that is cooked all over the world. A bit of history! That of the potato and its journey from Peru to Europe, that of the fryers and fritkots, a lot of pictures of the fry in art. And last but not least, practice! You will learn how to cook the best fries and, of course, you will be able to taste them accompanied by sauce, including mayonnaise which is also so much of an institution that its recipe is enshrined in an article of law.
Enough talk, now head to the local fritkot or to your kitchen to enjoy some excellent Belgian fries. And if you are visiting Bruges, don't miss the Frietmuseum, located in the former Genoese lodge (the Saaihalle) dating from 1399.
Finally, if you have an explanation as to the date of 1 August, please let us know by email at focusonbelgium@diplobel.fed.be.
