Potato - French fries - Chip shop

November 25, 20251003 Views 5 min read

In our Flemish culture, the potato, also known as "the patat", is indispensable. It has played an important role in our food supply for several centuries and even helps determine the summer landscape. There are several varieties with flowers of different colors. Photographically all interesting.

Potatoes are prepared in various ways: steamed, boiled, roasted, fried in oil or fat, crushed, mashed, and so on. If they are cut into long strips and then fried in ox fat or oil, we obtain the world-famous fries. The name fries or patat is derived from the word combination "patates frites" which is Belgian-French for "fried potatoes." French fries can be obtained in many public places through specially equipped places called "frietkoten"/"frietkramen"/"fritures". These french fry stands determine the street scene in many villages. Some fritkoten are world famous (at least in Flanders 😉 ): think of frituur "The edge of the woods"(Bruges), frituur "Bossuwé" at the station of Kortrijk, the fritkot on the market of Sint-Winoksbergen (thanks to the film of the Cht'is), and so on. According to the users of online takeaway.com, "Frituur Hazegras" in Ostend is the best chip shop in Belgium (they won that award in both 2021 and 2024). Not tested it myself yet 😉.

By the way, did you know that the entire fritter culture, both the craft of frying fries and the whole fritter experience that goes with it, has been recognized by UNESCO as intangible heritage? Mind you and to be 100% precise: however, it is still not officially inscribed on the "UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage," so the fritter culture is currently only "nominated."

The French claim the creation of patates frites, citing the very first friture, said to have stood on the Pont Neuf (the oldest bridge in Paris). Thus, "French Fries" are spoken of in large parts of the world. Note that in Southern Flanders we speak of "the patat" when we simply mean the "potato." In the North, they very often refer to "fries" as "patat". Just an idea of course. Did you know there is a real "French fries border"? More about this on Wikipedia.

In Belgian Flanders, fries are typically eaten with mayonnaise. In French Flanders on the other hand you often see that fries are eaten with vinegar (yes) or with for example Maroilles cheese. The latter is by the way one of the classics of starred restaurant "l'Auberge du Vert Mont" (just across "de schreve" in Boeschepe).

A veritable billion-dollar industry has sprung up around "fries" alone. There are several potato farmers who are creating a furor with the production of frozen fries. Worldwide, more than 3 billion kilograms of Belgian fries are eaten every year. As an example we can mention here the Flemish Clarebout take. They have several establishments: Nieuwkerke (Heuvelland) & Waasten (Warneton). A whole new branch was recently opened in the port of Dunkirk. This one alone employs more than 400 people. Other major players in this market are Agristo, Lutosa, Aviko, Ecofrost, etc.

One last fact: Do you actually know how cheap potatoes really are? Anno 2025, the potato farmer typically gets 75€ per ton. You read it correctly: this is barely 7.5 euro cents per kg! Everything depends on the moment and the variety of course: it is between minimum 45 and maximum 175 €/ton. In the store, you easily pay between 1.80 to 5 €/kg, i.e. 24 to 66 times the purchase price. If you buy a bowl of fries in a French fry shop, the potato's share of the total cost price is at most 10%. Or to put it another way: if the potato price were to rise by e.g. 20%, a packet of fries should actually only rise by 20 / 10 = 2% since the price of the potato itself only plays a role at most for 10%... 😉

Tip: visit one of those "french fry factories": very interesting to see what all happens to the potatoes before you get the fries on your plate. We already visited the Clarebout establishment in Nieuwkerke. Contact them via the contact form. Maybe your visit will end with a nice packet of fries 😉.

Indication of the location of Frituur "De Bosrand" on the map of Top.Vlaanderen.
Indication of the location of Frituur "Bossuwé" on the map of Top.Vlaanderen.
Indication of the location of Frituur "Hazegras" on the map of Top.Vlaanderen.
Indication of the location of "Friterie esquelbecquoise" on Top.Vlaanderen map.
Wikipedia page about the potato: Dutch - French - English
Wikipedia page about the fries: Dutch - French - English
How to fry the best fries ? The 5 fries tips from VRT chef Jeroen Meus.
Report from TF1 on the french fries industry in northern France