French fries in America

@LeopoldBloom The potatoes are grown in Belgium. Do your research. Then they are cut, most in Belgium, some here.

@ShaneMckay I work with fast food chains and see their own records showing where the potatoes come from. Most of them are grown in Idaho, with some from other states.

@LeopoldBloom Whatever the source of those sold by particular retailers in the USA, "Chips" are not solely an American invention.

Such take-away food dishes as fish-and-chips, sausage-and-chips and pie-and-chips have been almost staples in the UK for a very long time; and are not and never were called "French Fries".

Though that might be a difference in style. What are offered as "French Fries" in US-chain fast-food joints and some pubs or restaurants in England, are not the fairly chunky English-style chips, but instead are much thinner and harder.

Incidentally, what Americans usually call "chips" - crunchy, fried wafer-thin slices - are "crisps" in Britain.

I think he was talking about potato chips not fries. Fries are called chips in some parts of the world. @ArishMell

@Spoiledbrat Thank you. I do take your point, though Shane's original post does say "French fries", usually meaning in the UK at least something akin to what are known there as "chips".

@ArishMell It's confusing because different terms are used in different countries. "French fries" in the U.S. are fried shoestring (or thicker) potatoes. Potato chips are the paper-thin, crisp version. Supposedly, potato chips were invented on a cruise ship when a passenger ordered fried potato slices, and kept sending them back because they weren't done enough. Enraged, the chef finally sliced them paper-thin and fried them to a crisp. The passenger loved them and the American potato chip was born.

@LeopoldBloom I like the tale of the (American) chip!