Today, July 13, 2014, is National French Fry Day. Americans and most Canadians refer to any elongated pieces of fried potatoes as fries. It is claimed that fries originated in Belgium. Some people believe that the term "French" was introduced when British and American soldiers arrived in Belgium during World War I and tasted Belgian fries. They supposedly called them "French", as it was the local language and official language of the Belgian Army at that time, believing themselves to be in France. Thomas Jefferson had "potatoes served in the French manner" at a White House dinner in 1802. The expression "French Fried Potatoes" first occurs in print in English in the 1856 work Cookery for Maids of All Work by E Warren.
