This Belgian Museum Is Dedicated Entirely To French Fries
Being obsessed with food is not necessarily such a bad thing (let's face it, we'd all be pretty dead without it). While it's beneficial to have a healthy interest in food, there are occasions when that intrigue becomes nothing short of bizarre.
Take Idaho's Potato Museum as an example. Sure, potatoes are a noble and useful tool — but are they exciting enough to win the dedication of an entire museum? Then there's the Disgusting Food Museum in Sweden, featuring the delights of roasted guinea pigs, cheese made with maggots, and poop-infused wine. That's a whole other level of weird — even the depths of Twitter would struggle to beat it.
However, some appreciations of food are absolutely crucial, with Belgian's French fry museum being among the greatest. The Frietmuseum in Bruges is dedicated entirely to the joys of the incredible French fry, filling visitors with powerful knowledge about the beautifully crispy slices of perfection.
The French fry museum is packed with facts and strange inventions
According to Thrillist, the museum of dreams is located in the oldest building in Bruges (built in 1399) and expands across 2 floors. It is then sectioned into 3 specific parts of French fry experiences: one for its parent potato, another for its significance in modern life, and a final area dedicated to testing French fry recipes.
Featuring photos, comic strips, and huge sculptures dedicated to French fries, Vice reports that the museum also boasts attractions such as a baby's mobile made from hanging potatoes, potatoes used as musical instruments, and information about the National Order of the Golden Cornet: an achievement only acquired by Belgian fry heroes.
Even though it is easy to think that the origins of the French fry are obvious, BBC Travel reports the belief that it was actually born in Belgium. The story goes that in a freezing 1680 winter, Belgians were unable to catch fish, so they resorted to frying potatoes instead. It was then that U.S. soldiers, who arrived in French-speaking parts of Belgium during World War One, named the fried potatoes French fries.