French fries sold in the US House of Representatives are to be renamed “Freedom fries” in protest at France’s stance on a US-led war in Iraq.
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“This action today is a small, but symbolic effort to show the strong displeasure of many on Capitol Hill with the actions of our so-called ally, France,” Ohio Republican Bob Ney, whose committee is in charge of the House’s cafeterias, was quoted by Reuters as saying.
The move, which will also see French toast renamed “Freedom toast”, follows similar name changes across the US.
The White House, however, did not seem overly impressed with the idea, saying President George W Bush has more important things to do than worry about the name given to fried potatoes.
“Let me put it to you this way. The president is rather busy and he has other fish to fry,” White House spokesman Ari Fleischer was quoted by Dow Jones News as saying.
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By GlobalDataOfficials at the French Embassy argued that French fries actually originated in Belgium.
“We are at a very serious moment dealing with very serious issues and we are not focusing on the name you give to potatoes,” said Nathalie Loisau, an embassy spokeswoman, as quoted by the Associated Press.
This is not the first time food names have been influenced by politics. During the First World War sauerkraut was renamed liberty cabbage in the US, while frankfurters became hot dogs.
