Drenched in ketchup, drizzled with vinegar, dusted with seaweed, dipped in hummus, dunked in gravy and curds, French fries are truly an international food with a local twist. These ubiquitous fried potatoes transcend borders, both exotic yet recognizable across the world.
I have created the ultimate intercultural French fry trivia quiz. If you’d like to test your knowledge on this iconic street food, match the city to their favorite accompaniment. The prize for answering correctly? Bragging rights- you can say you are a French fry connoisseur. Bonus if you add your own regional variation in the comments below.
- Quebec A. Hummus
- Tokyo B. Grated white cheese
- Tel Aviv C. Vinegar
- London D. Double fried and salted
- Brussels E. Spicy tomato sauce
- New York F. Hot mustard, ketchup, mayo and bits of hotdogs
- Sofia G. Masala spice mix and cilantro
- Lima H. With seaweed
- Bombay I. Gravy and curds (aka poutine)
- Barcelona J. Ketchup
- Paris K. Curry ketchup
I also asked the friendly twitterverse how they ate their fries and these are the answers I received.
HP sauce… The best… Or plain brown vinegar
I love using malt vinegar on my fries! But, sometimes I’m old fashioned and use the classic Heinz ketchup.
grated Bulgarian feta!
Ketchup and Tabasco is the favorite combination.
mayo or hummus
dijon mustard, if w steak. If on their own, mix of sriracha and ketchup.
favorite sauce is for sure mayo harissa… Otherwise fries with cheese, gravy, bacon, Merguez and caramelized onions is classic
Abroad: Often nothing, occasionally ketchup if it’s available and any good. In U.S.: usually ketchup, sometimes nothing.
ketchup! Hot Chili Sauce! Sometimes spicy mandarin chutney!
I said ketchup and mayo yesterday. In the US, I loved melted cheddar and sour cream on ‘em!
ketchup and mayo 
Update on the Israel Trail
It’s hard going on the Israel Trail with the summer heat thickening our step. We arrived in Park Britannia, about 40 minutes from Tel Aviv, with views much tamer than those from the south. I’m not sure when our next outing is going to be but hopefully we’ll manage to creep along until the temperatures have dropped to more normal levels. Until then, here are some pictures.
Caves and ruins on the Israel Trail
Wild leek species (Allium), Allium ampeloprasum
Old World Swallowtail catepillar (Papilio machaon) on Pituranthos tortuosus, a wild herb that smells like dill
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Gorgeous clicks (especially the picture of the catepillar) and wonderful fries!
Cheers,
Rosa
Amazing photos. I think poutine is a dreadful way to eat fries but I do miss Quebec.
Well, I’m from Canada so I know for certain that in Quebec, fries are served with cheese curds and gravy and called, “Poutine.” You can buy the gravy in cans in Quebec, ready to go on your fries and curds. Personally, I think it’s disgusting but they have a loyal following. Personally, the smell of french fries and white vinegar sends me right back to my childhood, eating them while sitting on a picnic table waiting for the second feature at the drive-in to start.
So much poutine bashing!! Poutine is the food of the gods. How the heck can you go wrong with cheese, fries and gravy?
I completely agree with you! French fries, gravy and curds are a match made in heaven. vive la poutine!
Lovely, informative, evocative photos – thank you! Do have to try the quiz: matter of exclusion, methinks. Have to admit to a lot of ignorance since potatoes have not been on my menus for decades . . . .
!
Adore fries, or chips, as they care called in our majorly Brit household (I’m the only American). The kids all prefer ketchup in our house, the husband likes his drenched in salt and malt vinegar, but I love mine soaked in Thai sweet chili sauce.
Great quiz! But where are the answers?
I’ll post answers in a few days, meanwhile I am discovering even more variatons…
I’m from Australia, where we do a bit of “tomato sauce” (i.e. ketchup) or malt or white vinegar (a throwback to the Mother Country).
Here’s my match guess!
Quebec I. Gravy and curds (aka poutine)
Tokyo H. With seaweed
Tel Aviv A. Hummus
London C. Vinegar
Brussels K. Curry ketchup
New York J. Ketchup
Sofia B. Grated white cheese
Lima D. Double fried and salted
Bombay G. Masala spice mix and cilantro
Barcelona E. Spicy tomato sauce
Paris F. Hot mustard, ketchup, mayo and bits of hotdogs
Anita, Wow, you did a great job- 9/11, just switch the Paris and Lima. My favorite, as you can see in the pictures, is topped with sirene cheese (Bulgarian feta) which I discovered while visiting the Balkans. I should have added Holland’s variation- patat oorlog which @margit11 told me about.
Lol, just been making your rice fritters (they’re a staple for us, now) and noticed your Recent Posts – and here we are again, talking about fries (or chips, as us Brits call them). Ketchup, HP Sauce, gravy or Chinese curry sauce for those of us from the Northwest UK. Oh, and whichever sauce you go for, salt and a good drenching of vinegar is a must. I always chuckle when the Brits who holiday here ask the waiter for vinegar. The confused look on the waiter’s face…
Julia