Looking Pretty Fry: 7 Bite-Sized Facts about French Fries

French fries are delicious. They are also world record holders

You’ve consumed a fry or two in your day, but we’re betting you’ve never had one as long or eaten them as fast as some of the world record holders. Read on to learn a few fun facts about french fries, perfect for dipping in and out. When you’re done, check out our list of fun facts for kids.

1. The most considerable helping of fries was served at Twin Oaks Farms in Eagle, Idaho on Sep. 20, 2014. It weighed 1003 lbs. It used 1256 lbs. of raw potatoes and 110 gallons of oil to fry them up.

2. In many parts of the world, French fries are known as American fries.

3. The world’s longest French fry is 34 inches, discovered at Taffy’s Hot Dog Stand in Buffalo, NY by diner John Benbenek in July of 2010.

4. Thomas Jefferson is said to have requested that the White House chef, a French man, prepare for him “potatoes served in the French manner” for a dinner party. These are believed to be some of the first French fries in the United States. The year? 1802.

5. Here’s a fun fact about French fries—the Belgians eat more fries per capita than any other European country.

6. Hugh Rutherford of Oakland, CA set a record on Aug. 25, 2011, for eating a medium-sized order of fries (from Burger King) in a record-breaking one minute and 46.40 seconds. In 2013 in Hamburg, Germany, a woman known only as Caroline E. ate 20 french fries in 2 minutes, and 21.70 seconds without using her hands.

7. We call potatoes spuds after the spade-like tool once used to harvest them by hand.