What was the earliest English printed mention of the specific phrase 'French fried potatoes'?

Answer

1856

The linguistic adoption of the descriptor 'French' precedes the major cultural influence of World War I soldiers by several decades, suggesting a more gradual evolution of the term in English usage. The documented first printed appearance of the exact phrase 'French fried potatoes' in the English language occurred in 1856. This date predates both the wide-scale cultural impact of Jefferson's introduction and the linguistic confusion attributed to the American Expeditionary Forces in Belgium during World War I. This suggests that the term 'french fried' might have been used generically or descriptively in culinary contexts prior to the war era, possibly indicating a preparation method rather than a strict national origin reference, as some linguists suggest the term 'french fried' broadly applied to deep-fried foods in the early 1900s.

What was the earliest English printed mention of the specific phrase 'French fried potatoes'?
OriginAmericaFry