While the origins of French fries remain controversial, Belgium remains the largest per capita consumer of French fries among European countries. According to those who believe the dish originated in Belgium, American soldiers stationed in Belgium during World War I discovered the dish and named it "French fries" simply because the dominant language in the country at the time was French.

The Belgians love their French fries with raw eggs, and they even have a French fries museum called the Freitmuseum. In 1802, former US President Thomas Jefferson introduced this delicious side dish to the United States. At that time, he asked the White House chef to make this side dish according to French cooking methods and named it "French French Potato Fries."

Cutting

Julienne

Julienne is a French chopping technique most commonly used on vegetables that involves cutting food into long, thin slices. Thin strips. French fries fit that description. Unless you have a restaurant-style fries cutter at home, this is how you'll cut your own fries by hand. The official julienne measures 1/8 inch by 1/8 inch and is approximately 2 inches long. There is also "filament", which is only half the thickness of filament.

Batonnet

A better layer of batons than shreds makes for thicker fries. This is translated from French and means "little stick" and the length of the baton is 1/4" x 1/4". However, fries are still usually thicker than this.

Crinkle-Cut

Crinkle-Cut French fries have a slightly corrugated surface, but you might describe them as wavy. Achieving this look requires special cutting equipment, such as a crinkling knife or a specially equipped mandoline, sometimes requiring two separate cuts. Larger restaurant chains may use more sophisticated equipment, and these fries are usually thicker given the nature of the cut.

A round of cuts

Perhaps you've seen those round, smiley French fries that sometimes appear in school lunches and family restaurants. Round-cut fries are semi-thick, coin-shaped fries that are fried but also crispy when you pop them in the oven. The most popular round fries are called cottage fries.

Waffled

Waffle fries, similar to curly cut fries, use equipment, such as a mandoline slicer, to create the iconic waffle shape . This is a cross-cutting technique where the potatoes are rotated 90 degrees after each pass. Typically, they are between 1/4" and 1/2" thick.

Wedges

Of course, wedge fries are wedge-shaped. They are usually as long as potatoes and are usually thick on the outside but taper toward the edges like a wedge.

Fry Style

Bistro

Also known as European fries, bistro fries are what you typically find in bistros and family-style restaurants fries. They're thick-cut, usually double-fried, and usually served in a paper tube or metal cup, although the fries served will certainly vary from restaurant to restaurant. They are often fried twice for maximum crispiness and are considered by some to be the "ideal" restaurant fries. They're simple, delicious, and go well with the usual bistro fare.