Hey, Justin,

We always learn something new, don’t we?

Thanks for commenting.

Hi, Michelle,

Your comment is much appreciated. 

I know! Personally, finding out that French fries might not be French after all was a shocker to me. I love them anyway. I’m not going to lie lol.

Which part of Quebec do you live in? I went to Montreal in 2017, and I loved it! I hope to go sometime soon.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hi, Lenka,

Yes, I agree it’s very interesting and strange at the same time. There is so much confusion. We grow up with the idea that something is called a certain way but never question ourselves why is that.

I love fish and chips lol. As you mentioned, chips go by different names in the U.S. and the U.K. The same applies to many other things even though they be in the same language.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

I really enjoyed this article, especially because I live in Quebec Canada and have visited Paris France, more than once. I actually thought French braids were really a French thing… who knew? I also liked learning about the origins of the French horn and I’m glad to know that at least French bread is actually French. I like my bread! I love reading anything to do with the language and can’t wait for more entertaining articles like this one in the future! Thanks. 

Michelle

Hi, Christine,

It’s great to have the insight of someone from Belgium. As you mentioned, all of this might have something to do with the love-hate relationship between France and the U.S.

I didn’t know that Belgians also eat “lost bread”, but it doesn’t surprise me since you’re neighbors. I love learning new stuff like this.

We might never know the true origin of fries. Your explanation was very interesting and detailed. I can see why you’re a teacher. Thank you very much for stopping by and sharing this with us.

I enjoyed reading this post. I knew some of the “French” or not French things already, like French toast, French kiss, and French fries; none of them are French, yet they are called French, who knows why 😉 Someone suggested to me once that it might be because Americans have this love relationship with France?
I am from Belgium and we also call “French toast” lost bread, gained bread, just like in France, pain perdu. It is an age old recipe that people used to make old and stale bread edible again, so that is why it was called “lost bread, gained bread”, instead of having to throw it out, you gained new delicious bread slices 🙂

In Europe, everyone calls fries Belgian fries, well, most places where I have been to in Germany, Belgium, and also France. There is indeed an ongoing dispute between French and Belgians about this, since there is evidence that the French sold fries in the late 1800s at the Pont Neuf in Paris. However, other evidence suggests that a Belgian travelling merchant who travelled with a circus was selling fries in different towns wherever the circus passes through in 1845 or 1846, at an earlier date than the date the French first sold fries. This fact was discovered due to the existence of old documents in which this merchant was granted permits in each town to sell his fries. And Belgian fries are truly incredible!
In WWI American soldiers were introduced to fries in the trenches and the Belgian soldiers called them “frites”. Since those Belgians spoke French and not Flemish, the American soldiers must have assumed that the fries were French and they returned to their homes after the war, calling it French fries. There are some really interesting stories about foods and dishes 🙂