Potatoes are Good!

Shortly after the discovery of the Americas by Europeans, sometime in the early 1500’s, there was a not uncommon famine in France. The French king at the time was fascinated with the potato, among other foods new to Europe, from the Americas.

The French people, though starving, were dubious and wouldn’t plant them or eat them. The brilliant king, knowing that potatoes were a great food source that could help end the famine, had his potato field surrounded by armed soldiers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The French thought that if the king valued this foodstuff so highly, it had to be a truly wonderful thing.

Thus was ultimately born the French fry, amid other delights that French chefs have created since then.