There's only one true chip: the Belgian "frite" Often copied abroad (for example the bizarre Poutine from Quebec) but never equalled, the true Belgian chip is prepared by using Bintjes, a slightly floury variety of potato. The choice of oil for the chip also dictates the final product's taste. For a "traditional" preparation, we recommend using beef fat. But lower calorie alternatives exist, such as more healthy vegetable oils.
Once you have peeled the potatoes, slice into slices maximum 1 cm thick. Repeat this in the other direction, keeping an equal distance between cuts. Once you have finished, wash the chips in cold water and dry using a cloth. Immediately put the fat or oil to heat at 160°C for the first fry. When chips start coming to the surface, wait for one minute and then remove from the fat. Then raise the temperature to 180 °C and dunk the chips again until they are golden. Once you have drained them, wipe to remove ay remaining fat. Another method involves placing the chips into a bag shaped like an upturned cone (just like on real chip stands) so that the fat is "trapped" in the bottom of the cone. However, if you don't have the equipment nor the time to cook chips in this manner, Fritkots (called "baraques à frites" in Wallonia) will come to the rescue. As long as you find one that is good, not too far from home (see the ranking of the best chip stands in Belgium on friteries.be ) or the office, this is a quick and cheap way of buying chips. As long as you can find somewhere, for over the last ten years chip stands open late at night (often resembling caravans) seem to be a dying breed.
Problems receiving building permits from the town authorities, inadequate hygiene standards, fierce competition from durum and pita snack bars: the difficulties faced by these establishments are on the increase. Lucien Decraeye, President of the National Union of Chip Stall owners (Unafri), laments this whilst reminding the interest of such friendly outlets to tourists visiting the capital. Tourists who come to Belgium usually want to taste our chips, they are in all the guide books.
But resistance is getting organised. On the Internet, the site www.frites.be has launched a campaign called Touche pas à mon Fritkot!, with its virtual exhibition of over 70 photos of Fritkots. But there are also cultural events. The Frietkot Museum in Antwerp displays all sorts of productions (books, songs, paintings etc...) featuring chips. Artists, such as Gilles Houben have also made this snack one of their favourite subjects.
