French Fry Cutters

French fries are one of the most popular foods on Earth but the origin of their name remains a mystery to this day. There are many disputes between the French and the Belgians as to who initially coined the term. And while a big fuss is made about the name, no one really seems to be interested who invented the  French fry cutter.

Though it is not entirely certain, it seems that one of the first patents for the classic, manual French fry cutter was filed by James F. Haynes in the U.S. around 1932 and was called a  vegetable cutter.

When exactly it was invented cannot be established but there is no doubt that it was patented around that time as by the mid-1950's the grille on the front of the Ford Comète was already referred to as a "coupe-frites": namely a "french-fry cutter". Today, french fry cutters have become a standard piece of equipment in most commercial as well as home kitchens.

Who invented the fries?

Before we explore the history of potatoes and fries in the West, it is also worth noting that, according to recent research, the cousin of the potato, that is – the sweet potato might have been the first to start venturing across the globe, around 1100 A.D., 400 years earlier. Potatoes, on the other hand, the odd yellow tubers, were first introduced into Europe by the Spanish who had found them in South America when they came upon the Incas. Incas had been using the potato for many centuries and apart from eating it, they also used it for healing and divination. The Spaniards, however, did not appreciate the potato as much as the Incas did, called it an "edible stone" and took it with them only as emergency provisions. Back in Europe, the potato remained largely unpopular, was feared to be poisonous and unholy (because it was not mentioned in the Bible) and was even thought to cause leprosy. As they were suffering from starvation, the Irish were not as picky when it came to potatoes, and so the misunderstood tuber gained popularity in Ireland to the extent that 18th century English seedsman Stephen Switzer called it somewhat disrespectfully: "that which was heretofore reckon'd a food fit only for Irishmen and clowns".

Winco FFC-375 French Fry Cutter

It was not until French chemist Antoine August Parmentier returned to France from the Seven Years War that potatoes really became appreciated as a staple food. He had been fed potatoes while in captivity and decided to right the wrong by promoting the tuber, to the extent that he wrote a thesis called "Inquiry into nourishing vegetables that at times of necessity could be substituted for ordinary food". Ironically enough, the closer to our own time we trace the spreading of potatoes in Europe, the less is known about who actually came up with French fries and whether they are really French. It is known though that, in 1802, Thomas Jefferson asked chef Frenchman Honoré Julien to prepare “potatoes served in the French manner” for a party which means that by then they had already become a popular meal and remain so until this day.

Lauren Manning / Food Photos / CC BY

French Fries Recipes

At least 320 million tones of potatoes are produced each year in the world and about 2/3 of these are consumed by people. French fries are thus one of the most popular side or main dishes and are offered in nearly every restaurant. Some like them plain only with salt, while others enjoy them with ketchup or mayonnaise. Below are a few delicious recipes for french fries that you could have a look at, though you should make sure that you have a good french fry cutter or  processing disc before that.

• Mussels and Fries with Mustard Mayonnaise
• Chili Cheese Fries
• French Fry Recipes: 13 Crispy Snacks
• Perfect French Fries
• The Potato Secret Behind Great French Fries

These are only a few of the literally hundreds of recipes for fries that are out there. And if you're not up to repeating someone else's recipe, why not simply invent your own? Fries are really flexible when it comes to making up a recipe with them and that is why they remain one of the most popular foods across the globe.

Check out all French Fry Cutters at  French fry cutter