This Recipe for Curly Fries Is Unbelievably Almost 200-Years-Old

Can you even believe they had curly fries back then?! This recipe from Mary Randolph’s “The Virginia Housewife’s Cookbook,” first published in 1824. Randolph’s personal history is a bit of a legend, as she is said to have descended from Pocahontas. Randolph is well-known to have effused Southern charm into all her creations, giving Southern recipes a slightly more elegant finish. As Jas. Townsend and Son, Inc. reckon, this historic recipe must have been made as an edible garnish for a main dish and not as the fries we know and love today. What we wouldn’t give to be able to see that dish served up! The next best thing is this curly fries recipe! Cutting all those curly cues by hand with a paring knife takes a while, but the end result looks completely delicious. Have a look at this historic recipe in action below.