If you are reading from the U.S. this week, I’m sure you’ve seen or heard the soundbite “…eat only six French fries as a portion” – yes, we all laughed because who can only eat six individual fries? I know that fries aren’t quite healthy but they are really tasty and that matters (in moderation of course).  We love french fries in the U.S., chips in the U.K., friets in Belgium and the potato in general in its many fried forms around the world.  This love of the potato and its fried form in Belgium is taken to a new level at the Friet Museum.  I thought I was passionate about French fries but I never thought to open a museum of french fries to celebrate the history of potato and the evolution to fries (Belgian Friets). So join me on this quirky museum tour of the Friet Museum Bruges.

Belgian Friets or French Fries?

Legend has it that during the world war, the Belgian soldiers shared their Friets (fries) with American soldiers who thought the soldiers were French and called them French Fries and thus was born the French fry. The French have never claimed the French fry and the Belgians have had to live without the fame and glory knowing that they  created this popular potato concoction. Belgian Friets are unique in that they are cooked in two separate phases and served in a paper cone to eat on the go usually with a mayonnaise on top (or other delightful condiment) and a wooden fork like utensil.

In Belgium, the type of friet depends on the measurement in millimeters (mm) or centimeters (cm).  They include Belgian fries, mignonette, matchstick, straw potatoes, straw potato nests, pont neuf.  Honestly, I don’t care what you call them or how they measure up, I’m always ready to eat fries…..and definitely more than six fries.

Friet Museum Bruges

I ended up at the Friets Museum because it seemed quirky enough to visit in Bruges plus I could get fresh friets at the end of the visit in the basement snack bar (discount coupon provided with admission receipt). I also had the false illusion that after climbing up and down the 366 stairs at the Bruges Belfry, I could indulge in the fries without guilt.

The museum is open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. each day and located five minutes from the market square and Belfry of Bruges. The entry fee is 7 Euro (adult) so I combined it with the Choco-Story ticket (a museum about chocolate, including Belgian Chocolates – sign me up) – two museums dedicated to two of my favorites foods – french fries and chocolate.

How much is there to learn about the potato?  More than you’d think and I was actually surprised by it all – it was quite interesting.   The museum, founded in 2008, explores the very beginnings of the potato in various environments and continents and is set up to educate you (and many schoolchildren).  It then showcases farming techniques and tools before moving on to the preparation stage of the potato and cooking options.

Friet Museum Building

With the displays similar to museums, it was easy to navigate and read the boards throughout the exhibit as it continued upstairs in the 14^th and 15^th century buildings (one of the oldest in town, formerly the Genoa commercial representation building and annex with the date 1399 on the outside facade) to the large vaulted room that streamed light through the ornate Gothic glass windows. In this room, you can discover the fun side of the potato in the form of Friets and fries and all the ways to enjoy our potato addiction.  Popular condiments by country – Belgium enjoys mayonnaise and a sauce pomes Friets (similar to béarnaise).  I’m quite the fan of the truffle mayo that I had in Rotterdam with my Friets.

This colorful and slightly interactive room was designed for the kids but adults can enjoy just as much as the advertisements adorn the room as do the mini kitchens and cookware stations.  The displays are in a few languages, including English.  Its low tech but seriously educational in the “I’d watch this documentary on television and find it fascinating” kind of way.

Once you have gone through the mock friet shop and read the colorful advertisements on the wall, you descend the stairs back to either exit on the main floor or continue to the basement snack bar for the freshest Friets you’ll have in Bruges.

Friet Museum Snackbar – Friets Tasting

The snack bar sells a few other snacks and drinks but I was keen on an order of Belgian Friets with a side of ketchup (there’s an entire menu of condiments each for an additional fee).  I was given a beeper after ordering and was able to watch the two man operation go about creating the customer’s orders. While waiting and watching, I sat at a table in the basement and admired the stone walls and archways of the original building.  When my beeper went off, I retrieved my tray with Friets spilling out of the paper cone.  As this was my lunch (hey, no judgement), I easily ate all of the fries (after adding some salt).

Final Thoughts – Bruges Frietmuseum

Once full of fries, I walked through the small gift shop (always a gift shop) to exit.  What looked like an odd place from the outside was really a thoughtful surprise.  Two families created the Frietmuseum and ChocoStory to celebrate Belgian’s culinary favorites – fries and chocolate. The collection was thoughtfully curated, easy to understand, flowed nicely throughout the building and provided educational value.  You can easily visit in about an hour if there are no crowds and you decide to read a few displays.  I’m glad I decided to be quirky and visit the Frietmuseum in Bruges.

Seriously though, who can say no to french fries?  I ate fries in Rotterdam, Bruges, Ghent and London on my trip. Now I know so much more thanks to my visit to the Friet Museum Bruges.