Today is National French Fries Day

So, have you ever wondered how French fries get their name? I know I did. So, today, I would like to share a few facts about this delicious style of potato. All facts are from Wikipedia.

-Thomas Jefferson had "potatoes served in the French manner" at a White House dinner in 1802.

-The expression "French Fried Potatoes" first occurs in print in English in the 1856 work Cookery for Maids of All Work by E. Warren: "French Fried Potatoes. – Cut new potatoes in thin slices, put them in boiling fat, and a little salt; fry both sides of a light golden brown colour; drain."

-In the early 20th century, the term "French fried" was being used in the sense of "deep-fried", for other foods such as onion rings or chicken.

-In France and French-speaking Canada, fried potatoes are formally "pommes de terre frites",^[14] but more commonly"pommes frites", "patates frites", or simply "frites". The word "aiguillettes" or "allumettes" is used when the chips are very small and thin.

-The J. R. Simplot Company is credited with successfully commercializing French fries in frozen form during the 1940s. Subsequently, in 1967, Ray Kroc of McDonald's contracted the Simplot company to supply them with frozen fries, replacing fresh-cut potatoes.

-In 2004, 29% of the United States' potato crop were used to make frozen fries – 90% consumed by the food services sector and 10% by retail.It is estimated that 80% of households in the UK buy frozen fries each year.

-In June 2004, the United States Department of Agriculture, with the advisement of a federal district judge from Beaumont, Texas, classified batter-coated French fries as a vegetable under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. This was primarily done for trade reasons – French fries do not meet the standard to be listed as a "processed food".

-In 2002, the McDonald's Corporation agreed to donate $10 million to Hindu and other groups to settle lawsuits filed against the chain for mislabeling French fries and hash browns as vegetarian,because their French fries and hash browns were found to contain beef extract added during production.

Who knew there were so many facts about French fries!

Here's a video on how to make your own crispy French fries at home.