Potatoes have been a source of human sustenance for a long time; they were first cultivated in the Andes mountains as far back as 3000 BCE. Once they made their way to Europe, potatoes received a mixed welcome. They were embraced by the Germans, who usually served them mashed. But in France, potatoes were considered food for hogs.
That is, until a man named Antoine-Augustin Parmentier saw the humble potato’s potential. Parmentier learned about potatoes while he was imprisoned in Prussia. And despite the unpleasant circumstances, the potatoes he ate in prison made an impression on him. He popularized potatoes in French cooking—to this day, people leave potatoes on his grave in gratitude.
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Weeknight cooking inspiration, curated and written by longtime ATK author and editor (and avid home cook) Jack Bishop.
Fried potatoes eventually found their way to the American plate via James Hemings, a formally trained French chef who was enslaved by Thomas Jefferson. He served a version of pomme frites on the menu at the Monticello plantation.
Watch the video below in which Cook’s Country’s Editor in Chief Toni Tipton-Martin tells the story of how crispy french fries made their way to being a staple of the American diet.
And if you want to try your hand at making french fries at home, try our recipe for steak frites. It gives you a deliciously juicy steak alongside crispy fries that are started in cold oil for a no-fear frying method.
