The Friendship Between Ketchup And Fries Goes Way Back

Is there a more iconic food pairing than ketchup and french fries? That combination of sweet acidity combined with starchy, salty potatoes feels like it has always existed, but that isn't the case. The dish we know as french fries was likely created sometime in the 1700s, though the exact origin story is unclear — both France and Belgium lay claim to this iconic dish. 

Ketchup became popular with European people at around the same time, but this was very different from the tomato-based condiment we know today. In fact, the word comes from the Chinese word "kêtsiap," which means "brine of pickled fish" (per Business Insider). British sailors brought word of this savory, fermented, soybean-based sauce, and over time, many different recipes fell under the ketchup heading. They were made with ingredients like anchovies, mushrooms, or walnuts, and the first recorded tomato ketchup recipe does not appear until 1812 in the United States. 

Tomatoes were notoriously hard to preserve until Heinz introduced its classic ketchup recipe, packaged in glass bottles, in 1876. Heinz had impeccable timing in cracking the tomato ketchup code — the condiment became more widespread as hot dogs, hamburgers, and fries gained popularity in the U.S. By the 1940s, it became the standard for fast food chains to serve french fries with ketchup. Heinz partnered with McDonald's in 1970, ensuring that its ketchup paired with the country's most popular fast food for decades.

Whether you side with the French or the Belgians when it comes to who invented the fry, both parties can agree that ketchup is not the ideal dipping sauce. While Americans tend to believe that ketchup belongs on everything, across the Atlantic Ocean, the traditional preference is to serve mayonnaise with fries. In these areas, fries are typically prepared by cooking the potatoes twice, which yields a very crunchy texture that contrasts deliciously with creamy mayo. Sometimes, animal fat is the frying medium of choice, which creates a delectable flavor that can be overpowered by sweet ketchup. A cone full of savory fries that are super crispy on the outside and ultra-fluffy on the inside, washed down with a delicious bottled Belgian beer? That sounds delightful.

That said, even Belgium has somewhat gotten on board with ketchup on fries. Andalouse is a dipping sauce now commonly found across Belgium. The sauce was inspired by Spanish flavors and is made from a combination of mayonnaise, peppers, and tomato paste. Some polls even show that fry lovers in certain areas of Belgium actually prefer ketchup on their fries, though mayonnaise remains the clear winner overall.