You can never have too many fries. And when you love them, you don't count – with or without sauce. Good news: Fries Week continues in Belgium until this Friday 13 November. A Friday the 13th? For a fritkot lover, that's simply a lucky day.

Since 6 November, Flanders and Wallonia have been celebrating our national gold together. For the occasion, the Consumer Observatory of ApaQ-W and VLAM surveyed 2,200 Belgians aged 18 to 64. Their "Friteries Barometer" confirms what we already knew but love to hear: 86% of Belgians consider fries from the friterie inseparable from Belgian culture, and 77% find them quite simply unique in the world. Reassuring, isn't it? Well, maybe.

Fritkot culture: much more than a fry shack

A friterie is a neighbourhood spot, a lighthouse in the night, a small stage where the same mouth-watering theatre plays out every week. 80% of Belgians consider Fritkot Culture to be intangible cultural heritage. For nearly three out of four Belgians, fries from the shack are also the ideal solution when you have neither the time nor the inclination to cook. And nearly two out of three admit they struggle to resist. Let's be honest: so do we.

Belgians and their fritkot: a story of loyalty

Here, you don't swap your fritkot like a shirt. 78% of regulars almost always go to the same one, and 70% usually order the same thing. If their fritkot is closed, nearly half of Belgians set off in search of another friterie. Brusselers are more radical: 28% would rather give up fries altogether. That's what exclusive love looks like. As for rituals, fries remain a family affair: 74% share them with their family, versus 10% with friends and 15% solo. They are mostly eaten takeaway, preferably with the fingers (67%), straight from the pack (77%). And for 46% of Belgians, it is impossible not to sneak a few fries before reaching your destination. That's not greed, that's quality control. When it comes to packaging, the paper cone wins over 39% of Walloons, against 19% of Flemings, who are more attached to the cardboard tray. Home Frit' Home took sides long ago.

Mayonnaise, andalouse, carbonnade sauce: to each their own

Mayonnaise still reigns unchallenged: 43% of sauce lovers choose it. Next come andalouse (20%), tartare (17%), carbonnade sauce (15%) and ketchup (14%). But the sauce map paints a little regional landscape! Carbonnade sauce seduces 25% of Flemings, against 2% of Walloons. Samurai sauce sets 28% of Brusselers on fire. And Brazil sauce is chosen by 18% of Walloons, against 2% of Flemings. Another counter-side debate: sauce on the fries or on the side? 59% of Belgians prefer their sauce in a little separate pot. Liberté, égalité, dip.

Stealing a fry: how far does Belgian conviviality go?

A delicate question, but the barometer dared to ask it. Only 49% of Belgians let everyone help themselves from their pack. 24% reserve that privilege for their partner, and 15% answer firmly: nobody. A declaration of love can sometimes be summed up in one sentence: "You can have one of my fries."

At the Micro Belgian Fries Museum, Fritkot culture becomes an art

At Home Frit' Home, we celebrate fries all year round. With humour, with passion, and with that artistic touch that turns the paper cone into an object of culture. So this week, do your favourite fritkot proud. And to keep the party going: see you very soon at our free open house weekend on the first weekend of December!

Saint-Nicofrites at Home Frit' Home:

free open house on 5 and 6 December!

• Home Frit' Home and its Micro Belgian Fries Museum open their doors for Saint-Nicofrites.
• It will also be the closing event of the "Quotidiens singuliers" exhibition by Alfred Michel Fabry, enhanced for the occasion with original works from his book "Du sang à la une".
• And to accompany the celebration, the Dubuisson brewery will offer lovers of good beer a tasting of its Bush de Noël.

Isn't life just beautiful, with fries?

• Saturday 5 December, 1.30 pm-6.30 pm
• Sunday 6 December, 1.30 pm-6.00 pm Rue des Alliés 242 Bondgenotenstraat, 1190 Brussels – Forest. Also open: our micro cinema packed with fried gems, our belgo boutique and our frituresque garden.

Source: Consumer Observatory of ApaQ-W, in collaboration with VLAM, "Friteries Barometer: consumption and choice criteria", November 2026. Survey conducted from 10 to 30 September 2026 among 2,200 Belgians aged 18 to 64. https://semainedelafrite.be/