French fries were invented in Belgium, not France.

People in the Meuse Valley of Belgium were frying potatoes as early as 1680. Local records show that poor residents usually fried small fish from the river. When the river froze in winter, they cut potatoes into thin strips to look like fish and fried those instead.Making a crispy fry requires two separate cooking steps. The first step uses a lower temperature of 320 degrees Fahrenheit to cook the inside of the potato. The second step uses a higher temperature of 375 degrees Fahrenheit to crisp the outside. This high heat causes the Maillard reaction.The Maillard reaction is a chemical change between sugars and proteins. It creates the golden-brown color and the savory smell of the potato. In Belgium, cooks traditionally use beef fat instead of vegetable oil. This fat can get very hot without smoking and adds more flavor.The name might also come from a cooking term. To 'french' a vegetable means to cut it into long, thin strips so it cooks evenly. Today, Belgium has more than 5,000 fry shops. This is the highest number of fry shops per person in the world.