CEBU, Philippines - Historians note that during the early 20th century, the term "French fried" stood as an informal double for "deep fried" - alluding to where elongated cuts of deep fried potatoes got its name.
Experts of the field also note that though "French fries" have the word "French" in its name, the special may or may not have been purely made in France.
Belgium is popularly heralded to be the place where French fries originally came from, with its French connection linked to how the world banded Belgian cuisine with French cuisine in the past.
France and other French-speaking countries also have their say about the "invention" of French fries - the most notable of which tells of how street vendors in Paris in 1789 (prior to the French Revolution) prepared deep-fried strips of potatoes as a special.
Spain also has its take on the question of the origin to the fries, with many convinced that it was made in Spain, citing that it was the first European country where potatoes were introduced.
Like the hamburger, there are different claims on where the first order of fries was made, but it's still-unclear origin story hasn't caused a dent in its popularity - making it a perfect match to the hamburger; not just because both are specials with contestable origins, but because they are - well, simply put - perfect when served together. (FREEMAN)