There are a few theories on why potato chips are called french fries.
While there is a lack of consensus on which theory is correct, it is accepted that ‘french fries’ became popular only in the early 1900s.
Theory 1: American soldiers during WWI discovered fried potatoes in southern Belgium, where the dominant language was French, thus giving potato chips the name french fries.
It is believed that villagers along the Meuse river (it flows through Belgium) traditionally ate fried fish.
In winters, the river froze and made fishing impossible; so, the villagers turned to potatoes, slicing & frying them in the same way as they prepared the fish.
American soldiers stationed in Belgium during WWI came across these chips.
Since the dominant language of that region in Belgium was French, American soldiers thought that these people were French, so they named the potato chips “french” fries.
Theory 2: ‘To french’ means ‘to cut into pieces’ in old Irish.
This theory attributes “French” in the french fries to the old Irish language and not to France, the country.
When the Great Famine hit Ireland between 1845 and 1851, a lot of Irish people left Ireland for the US, Canada, and other countries, bringing with them the term and concept of “french fries.”
Theory 3: They are actually French.
Thomas Jefferson, who became the 3rd President of the US in 1801, spent 5 years in France in the late 1700s as the American Minister to France.
Jefferson was known to be a foodie, and he had his slave trained as a chef in France because he loved French food.
Jefferson is said to have recorded over 150 French recipes, one of them being pommes de terre frites à cru en petites tranches, which translates to ‘raw fried potatoes in small slices’ (these were round-shaped and not like the modern-day French fry).
It is also reported that during a dinner at the White House in 1802, Jefferson asked the chef to serve his potatoes in a ‘French’ manner.
The popularity of fast food in the US is often credited for the success of French fries.
