National French Fry Day Monday
National French Fry Day is today and is a celebration of America's favorite side dish.
Here are a few fun facts about French fries:
- French fries may not be French at all. Belgians have said that they invented "pommes frites" (pronounced: pomm freet). In fact, Bruges, Belgium, is home to the Frietmuseum, or Fries Museum.
- French fries were introduced to America in by one of our most beloved presidents. Jefferson was a known lover of potatoes "served in the French fashion," and served them at a White House dinner in 1802.
- The Bagger Dave's proprietary potato comes exclusively from Sterman Masser Potato Farms, one of the biggest potato producers in the Northeast.
- Think French fries have little nutritional value? Not so! Potatoes are a good source of fiber. And French fries are a source of potassium, which is an important source of energy you need to get through your day.
- Americans' favorite fry condiment is ketchup, but around the world, top condiments include salt and vinegar (Great Britain), mayonnaise (Belgium), gravy and cheese (Canada), and butter and sugar (Vietnam).
- Americans eat 16 pounds of fries per year, adding up to 2 million tons of fries consumed annually in the U.S.
- The U.S. is the leading supplier of fresh potatoes in the world, and grows an astonishing variety of potatoes, from fingerlings to blue or purple potatoes to gold or white or red-skinned spuds. Within each variety there are still more varieties, each slightly different from the other in terms of texture and flavor and starch content.
- More than 25 percent of all the potatoes harvested in the U.S. are made into French fries.