In complete contrast to yesterday, today I’m talking about frites. Yes, the wonderful Belgian delicacy of fried (no, double fried) potatoes. And what better time to enjoy a paper cone stuffed with fries and smothered in mayonnaise than during the Fritkot Festival.
As part of Brusselicious, Brussels year of gastronomy, this is a festival dedicated to the glorious frite. And of course the best place to enjoy frites is from a fritkots, the traditional chip stands found on streets all over Brussels. The festival officially kicks off on 1 November (and runs through 4 December), but many of the activities were already launched this week.
Now I know we all have our favorite fritkot around town. My preference goes to the slightly less known cart on Place de la Chapelle for the crispiness, low price and fast, friendly service. As part of the festival, you can vote for your top choice. The winning fritkot will be awarded a giant cone of chips. Only in Belgium.
The average pack of frites costs around €3, but there’s a sale going on during the festival. The tourism office VISITBRUSSELS will distribute empty chip cones at stations, the airport, traffic lights and tourist info points, which people can take to one of the participating fritkots and get it filled for just €1! Unfortunately, sauce will be extra. 🙂
And on the question of who really invented the chip (or French fries as some mistakenly refer), the festival is even hosting a debate with real historians. The website says that the audience may throw cones filled with chips at the worst speakers. This could get interesting! Here’s a little history lesson (in French) on the origins of the magnificent Belgian frites to fuel the discussion.
Bon appétit!
Images via VISITBRUSSELS.
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