Potatoes are clearly the superior carb. In any form — mashed, fried, scalloped — potatoes are always going to be our favorite thing to eat. Whenever I crave something salty, I’m going to want French fries 100 percent of the time. And like most people, I’ve just assumed French fries are from France. It’s in the name itself, so how could it be from anywhere else?
Many people in France have thought the same, but specifically believe that Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, a French pharmacist from the 1700s, is the one to thank for our delicious fried potatoes. His grave at the famous Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris is literally loaded with potatoes. People have been leaving potatoes inscribed with messages, thanking Parmentier for his French-fried contribution to cravings, but their sentiments might actually be a little misguided.
Potatoes actually originated from Spanish countries before being introduced to Europe.
In France specifically, potatoes were basically shunned, since it was believed people would get the plague or leprosy from the vegetable. That’s where Parmentier comes in — he served in the French army as a pharmacist, where he became imprisoned in Prussia and learned of the beauty of potatoes. When he returned to France, he convinced the royals to let him grow potatoes. France went from the poor avoiding eating potatoes to the leaders of the country enjoying them on the regular.
Even though Parmentier hugely increased the popularity of potatoes in Europe, he is not the father of the French fry. That credit actually goes to Belgium, where many historians believe the French fry was really created. During harsh winters leading to famine, Belgians would cut up potatoes in the shape of fish and fry them, according to Food Republic. Since French was the dominant language in Belgium, it was named the French fry.
This definitely got confusing over the centuries, when all of us assumed France to be the land of the fry.
Here is a fun fact. Contrary to the popular belief French fry is not FRENCH. Apparently it’s origin is Belgium.
— Zayaan (@ZayaanAhmed) October 8, 2018
I feel betrayed.
The marked potatoes around Parmentier’s grave are well-intentioned, but really we should all be thanking Belgium for our favorite junk food. However, it might be a little more difficult to leave potatoes around all of Belgium to express our gratitude.
In the end, I’m just glad French fries exist — and will gladly pay my respects to both Belgium and Parmentier.
