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You want fries with that museum?
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Honey, I have a surprise!
An entire museum of fries!
Let’s order a malted,
And everything salted,
Then leave, before anyone dies!
Blog Guy, I read your item about the Ramen Museum in Japan, which sounds kind of boring. Are there any really great food-themed museums?
Well, everybody knows about our own Goofy Face Museum and Doughnut Shop, here in Washington, DC.
Sure, I’ve been there lots of times. What else?
There’s the Frietmuseum, in Belgium. The place is dedicated entirely to research and information on French fries.
Seriously? An actual French fry museum? Isn’t that kind of risky in this health-conscious era?
We’ll see. They decided to just open it up and let the chips fall where they may.
I get it, French fries are also called chips, so stop that. How can they justify a shrine to nothing but potatoes and hot grease?
Hang on, don’t forget about the salt. Besides, it’s a lot more promising than that OTHER food-themed museum in Belgium.
Ooooh! What’s the specialty of the other one? Belgian beer? Belgian waffles? Belgian chocolates?
Brussels sprouts.
I think I’m going to be sick, Blog Guy.
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Top: A cook prepares fries in a cafe at the Frietmuseum in Bruges September 27, 2011. The museum, the first of its kind in the world dedicated entirely to research and information on potato fries, traces the history of the snack and offers advice on how to cook them.
Right: A cook sprinkles salt on fries at a cafe in the Frietmuseum.
Left: A visitor takes pictures of exhibits during a visit to the Frietmuseum.
REUTERS photos by Thierry Roge
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Oooo!!! I loooooooove chips. I remember having them in Bruges, and I had them with Samurai sauce, which was literally mayo and chilli sauce mixed together. It was their version of “hot”. It was my interpretation of being, “alright”.
And before you say anything, I do quite like chips with a mayo dip. Yummm!
I thought they were freedom fries now? As long as they don’t ruin them with cheese curds and gravy…EWWWWWWWWWW!
Ooooh look! Something in Belgium that is about as exciting as a fried potato!
At least the beer is good, which reminds me of something:
There once was a young barmaid from Sale
On whose chest was tattooed the price of the ale
And on her behind,
for the sake of the blind
Was the same message written in braille
So, when will the US open a corndog museum?
C’mon…. This has GOT to be some sort of joke. Really, how much research can be done on French fries…How hot the grease has got to be before they start screaming and writhing in pain? That’s absolutely inhumane! I’m starting a Save the Fries movement as soon as I eat breakfast. In the meantime, please pass the salt.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zfzT7QfL Zc
You just made me hungry
And right next door is the Ketchup museum … and right next to that, the Twinkie museum … and right next to that the cardiologist office …
@Nosmo … LIKE … I think I KNOW her!
@justCAM – as I drive to & from work each day I pass a Mamie’s Kitchen (known for ‘down home’ country cooking), next to a dialisys clinic, which is next to a funeral home. The progression of life perhaps?
@justCAM: Don’t forget the Clearasil kiosk outside!
Quelle tragique!
This museum Belgique.
It’s no surprise
For Spuds with no eyes.
When fried have a future quite blique.
@Malteser: If you want to come to the home of the original Corn Dog, the Texas State Fair opens tomorrow. Gentlemen, start your fryers.
Nice pome Blog Guy.
My philatelist’s cardiologist told me not to read today’s blog, now I know why. Hey Shra, pass the Samurai sauce
@Georgia … nice. What, no liquor store?
@justCAM – come on now, we all know that’s your sister.
I have done my own research on French fires. What strain of potatoes make the best fries, what oil to use, how long to cook, how best to cut the potatoes, etc.
I grow my own Yukon Gold potatoes and use only corn oil to make the fries. Cooking is one of my passions.
Tonight is Mexi-Night.
Om nom nom nom…french fries…nom….delicious…nom nom nom.
@Nosmo: Good grin! Did you let your fingers do the walking?
@FriscoJohn – I genuinely would love to try a corn dog some time. Locally, we could open a “pastizzi” museum. It’s a maltese speciality cheese/pea cake. I could paste a wiki link but that would earn me a zap. Oh wait, Shra’s away right?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastizzi
@Frisco – the TX state fair: home of fried butter, fried bubble gum, fried Coke, fried Oreos, fried Snickers, fried Twinkies, etc.
maybe they should work on fried Lipitor
@Malteser: Pastizzi? Hmmm, looks like we have a new entry for next year’s Texas State Fair.
@GeorgiaPeach: Yup, that’s in the works. We’ll fry anything. I hear they are looking to Australian for new inspiration. See: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/3 0/us-australia-bugs-idUSTRE78T0UY2011093 0
Sure beats the crunchy frog. RE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy6uLferm PU
FrisoJohn, nothing beats a crunchy frog! Unless it’s 2 crunchy frogs!
Fried pastizzi, Frisco? That would be original. There’s already enough cooking oil in pastizzi for the typical Maltese, but I’m guessing over there you’d want some more.
@Malt – Frisco did say they’d fry anything. I mean, chicken fried steak and chicken fried chicken are the 2 main food groups in TX aren’t they?
fried chicken….mmmmm GOOD!
The Belgians are truly wise
For creating a museum of French fries
You can go with your buddies
To learn about Belgian chip studies
And a lot more from those potato genius guys
seems I recall from an episode of Man vs. Food that Belgian Friets are twice fried potatoes.
Frisco – make a note for future state fairs!
Excellent choice of potato Doc – always good to hear from a fry/chip fan who understands the importance of dry matter content.
Thanks, CG. It is nice to know people who know potatoes. Last summer, we were over at friends, who were making homemade French fries. They had REFRIDGERATED the potatoes. Refridgerated!
@Doc: In kitchens in a number of the older NYC apartment buildings, you can still see the doors, now sealed and painted over, used for potato storage. Clearly, potatoes are not for iceboxes.
Refrigeration in the 40sF causes the potato to convert its starches to sugars. This results in soggy bakers and brown, soggy fries and chips because the sugars caramelize.
Noooo! Refridgerated for how long? The bruising! The sugar content! Oh, the humanity!
Regardless of my brothers’ vocabulary, a home run may be called a “homer,” but should never be called a “boomer,” “four bagger,” or (never, never, never) “tater.”
Nor should a grand slam be called a “grand salami.”
@Doc – is it ok that I refer to my friend’s children as Tater Tots? His surname is Tate
Sure, Georgia. Just don’t call them “boomer” or “four bagger.”