Street Classic · Twice-Fried Potatoes

Belgian Fries (Frites/Friet)

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The popular story that fries were invented in the Meuse Valley, where villagers fried potatoes when the river froze, is disputed by historians, who note that potatoes weren't grown there until decades later.

Cut thick and fried twice — once low to cook through, once hot to crisp — Belgian fries are scooped into a paper cone from a dedicated fry shop (frituur/friterie) and topped with a sauce like andalouse or samurai rather than plain ketchup.

Why it's made this way: Double-frying became standard because it produces a fluffy interior with a shattering shell, and frituren have operated as their own culinary institution, separate from restaurants, since the 19th century.