Belgium’s French-speaking Wallonia region may call its language ‘French’ but it definitely calls its frites ‘Belgian,’ and this week is set aside to honor the delicious delicacy.
An initiative of the Walloon Ministry of Agriculture, the celebration is in its 12th year and runs through November 15. Bernard Lefevre, president of the National Union of Chip Shop Owners, told a press conference last week that “It is important to take a week each year to highlight this heritage so typical of our region, a heritage that is so beneficial.”
Whether they go by ‘frites’ in Europe, ‘chips’ in Britain or ‘fries’ in America, they are a big thing in Belgium, where most experts agree they were created. Wallonia has 4,000 potato producers turning out 4.5 million tons of spuds a year, supplying thousands of frites joints, called ‘fritkots’ in Brussels.
