The Fable of Fabel Friet

Once upon a time, there was a country.

And one day in that country — sometime in the 1600s, to be more exact — a group of people figured out that when you put sliced potatoes in boiling oil, they taste really fucking good. That country was called Belgium (not France.)

News spread throughout the land and beyond its borders. Over the years, love for the fried potato grew and grew and grew. It never waned, not for a moment. Accessibility became more widespread thanks to the emergence of the “frites stand” — vendors selling frites and frites only for takeaway.

One stand in particular rose above the rest. So much so that people traveled many, many hours to visit — even though there were many, many other stands much closer by.

This is a tale about hype culture.

If you have traveled to Amsterdam, or have ever even thought about traveling to Amsterdam, and have searched social media for ideas about what to do while there, chances are extremely high that you’ve heard of a place called Fabel Friet.

As you might have guessed, they sell these magical fried potatoes, or fries, or whatever you’d like to call them.

Opened not so long ago in 2020, Fabel Friet has since accumulated a truly massive international following.

I personally know this not because of their social media presence, but because I happen to live around the corner. I pass the line — generally stretching down the entire block and then some — on a regular basis. (Neighborhood faces are familiar with the 2, 3, 4 men in navy blue vests working crowd control — see this article for a larger scope of neighborhood impact.)

So, what’s so special?

Fabel Friet prides itself on making not Belgian, not French — but authentic Dutch fries. They use locally-harvested Agria potatoes, grown specially for this purpose, as well as frying with 100% vegetable oil. They also keep the skin on to preserve flavor.

Okay... sounds good, I guess. And?

It was about time I go see for myself.

And so I did. On a Wednesday at 2PM. To guarantee as short a line as possible.

I ordered within 7 minutes — success — and was handed my magical frites in another 3. Painless except for the semi-embarrassing sensation of standing in line, undercover. I quickly scurried away and found a seat on the canal and ate.

What do you think I’m going to say?

They were fine.

I wanted my mind to be blown, I really did. But they were literally just fine.

More than anything, the feeling I experienced after trying Fabel Friet’s fabled frites was relief. Satisfaction that I had finally gotten my hands on such a coveted thing.

And this? This is hype culture.

It makes me wonder: how much of the enjoyment derived from eating a popular food item, or trying a hot new restaurant, or wearing a popular new brand name, is because the product is actually really good?

Is it the feeling of being a part of something? Or, the reverse: having something so many others want and cannot have?

There is obviously a subjective scale to this. The weight of personal opinion. Where others might roll their eyes and beg to differ, I would say I’ve tried a good number of things that are “worth the hype” — take Carbone’s spicy rigatoni and carrot cake, for example.

Alas, this was not one of those times. The only thing special about these frites is the addition of grated cheese, which I honestly couldn’t even discern under the mayo. That, and their serving style: a small rectangular box in place of the traditional paper cone.

Some might say they’re photogenic.

And it is for this reason that they will go down in history books.

—

What is a fable, anyway?

The internet suggests that a fable is a story with talking animals or inanimate objects. But I wasn’t going to write this from the perspective of a talking potato. Not my style. (Maybe another time.)

Fable (noun): a narrative form told in order to highlight human follies and weaknesses. A moral—or lesson for behavior—is woven into the story and often explicitly formulated at the end.

This is the end. What’s the moral?

I’m no preacher, but what I’m getting at is simple, as most fables are: think for yourself.

This is not so easy. Group think mentality is wicked strong, and hype distorts. There’s nothing wrong with trying and liking the things that other people like. But just because everyone likes something doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s good.

Try your best to be of your own mind. With your choices, your behavior, and your fries.

Do so and you will live happily ever after.

At the end of the day, it’s just a root vegetable. How can a human being not at least be a little happy with a fried potato in hand?

This is a question for another time.