I love that Alberta has a variety of fries as a foodie. I love to explore the city on the weekends with
my friends, and one day, we stumbled upon this place where they had war fries. I had no idea what they
were. My friend told me that it is like a poutine but with a multicultural touch. He knew about this
because he is from the Netherlands, which is the home of ‘Patatje Oorlog’. They are also known as War
fries, and war chips in English. The resulting blend is savory, salty, and spicy. Pairing with any soft
drink or cold beverage is recommended to enhance the experience. You will learn why it is called war
fries while eating because it gets messy when you eat it. It is more like a battlefield.
A Dutch Delicacy
A Wonderful War
This isn’t about some tragic war. It’s a fun and tasty story about fries from the Netherlands. It is
a mixture of fries, typically made of russet potatoes, topped with peanut satay sauce, mayonnaise,
and onions. The combination sounds weird but is delicious. These fries look like a clash of
different toppings and flavors as if they are fighting against each other at war. However, this is
quite misleading because these flavors go quite harmoniously together.
I first learned about them from my Dutch friend, which inspired me to seek them out during a day out.
I remember the first bite—having never tasted peanut sauce before, it made me fall in love! The
creamy mayonnaise balanced the nutty sauce, while the onions added a satisfying crunch. If I could,
I’d eat these fries every day and encourage everyone to experience this delightful flavor explosion!
A Poutine Without Gravy
This is a bit of a shocking statement for Canadians, eh? Don’t worry. It’s just a
comparison. Dutch fries have a peanut sauce and mayonnaise instead of gravy. I compared
it to the Canadian poutine without gravy because I like to call it Dutch poutine. You
can call it whatever you want to. Raw onions make it more tempting. Being of Indian
origin, it reminds me of “chaat” (an Indian savoury snack dish). But still, it is unique
on its own. If you love to try out new things, I would highly recommend these to you.
Outstanding Oorlog Sauce
You must be wondering what oorlog sauce is. I used to have the same question which was
clarified by my Dutch friend's mother. She explained to me that it is one of the main
ingredients of war fries that makes them different from others. Oorlog is not an English
word. It is Dutch. It translates to “war”. But why war sauce? Because it shows the messy
yet delicious combination of peanut(satay) sauce mayonnaise, and onions. People might
add other sauces, too. These sauces on the fries on a plate make it look no less than a
battleground.
A History Lesson
I would love to tell you the history of war fries, but this is not a history lesson. Despite being
referred to as Dutch fries their origins are more deeply rooted in culture. I learned about war
fries from my friend who is of Dutch origin, which made me curious about their history. So I asked
his family which has been living in Edmonton for the past 12 years.
They explained to me that the Dutch colonial presence in Indonesia led to the blending of Dutch and
Indonesian influences that resulted in war fries. Rich and nutty the peanut-based satay sauce
captures Indonesia's influence on Dutch cooking but the mayo and onions keep it firmly anchored in
Europe. With distinctive homemade sauces restaurants all over Europe have added their twists over
the years giving each plate of war fries a slightly different taste.
