Low-carb diet? Non merci

I’m writing this from French-speaking Belgium where I may have found the solution the recent woes of Maine potato farmers: a renaissance of real fries.

To truly understand what I mean, you have to travel to Belgium yourself. Here you will see that the humble fried potato is not only a key part of the Belgian national dish called “moules frites” (i.e. mussels and fries), but truly a way of life. Wherever you go in Belgium, you will find people of all ages, sizes, and backgrounds eating their beloved fries, usually with a small portion of mayonnaise.

Along with the Belgian monarchy and the love of beer, fries are one of the few things that binds this multi-lingual, multi-cultural hodgepodge of a country together. They are to Belgium what the baguette is to France: the food of the people and a national culinary symbol.

All of this seems very far away, both geographically and gastronomically, from the United States which remains in the grips of the low-carb trend. According to a poll by the NPD Group, 27 percent of Americans are on a weight-loss program of some sort at any given time. Such plans are currently led by the Atkins diet, which recommends overloading on protein and fat to cause a metabolic condition in which the body sheds water.

While some of these diets have been shown over the short term to help some people lose weight, there’s a growing number of doctors and public health officials who are expressing concern at the long-term health risks of high-fat diets. The American Heart Association, for example, recommends that people steer clear of them. Instead, they recommend losing weight “the old-fashioned way” through a balanced-diet, fewer calories, and more exercise.

The jury may still be out on the health impacts of these diet fads, yet their impacts on the Maine potato industry couldn’t be clearer: shipments of fresh “tablestock” Maine potatoes were down by 25 percent last year, the equivalent of 100,000 trailer trucks worth. This comes as difficult news to digest for a Maine industry that generates $300 million in direct economic activity and supports nearly 3,000 jobs.

Although each week there is a new story about the next wave of the Atkins craze, there are signs that time-tested carbohydrates are waging a comeback. Fans of potatoes, pasta, bread and rice from across the globe have started to remind others that carbohydrates earned their place at the base of a healthy food pyramid.

When it comes to the potato, “the calories are right (100 for a medium baked potato), the potassium is right, and the price is right,” says George Blackburn, associate director of nutrition at Harvard Medical School. He might also have mentioned the vitamin C contained in their skins and the fact that potatoes are considered a “good carbohydrate” in terms of their effect on blood sugar levels.

Yet, the best argument the Maine potato has working for it can’t be found in nutrition textbooks, but in cookbooks, including a few Belgian ones. So what’s the Belgian secret for making good fries? There are two in fact. The first is to start with fresh potatoes as opposed to frozen, cutting them thicker than the matchsticks many U.S. fry-eaters are accustomed to. The second, which relates to the first, is that Belgians cook their fries twice, once for cooking the potato, the second time for giving it a crispy, golden crunch.

Maine farmers and chefs have been very successful in establishing Maine’s reputation for sustainably produced and delicious foods over the years. Perhaps with a concerted effort, Maine could become the “real fry” capital of the United States, reaping the various rewards that come with such a distinction.

Heck, while we’re at it, we might as well steam up some real Maine mussels and offer our own version of “moules frites.” I can already hear the Maine waiters and waitresses asking, “Would like your mayonnaise on top or on the side?”

Roger Doiron works for the Eat Local Foods Coalition of Maine, a nonprofit group of individuals and organizations committed to promoting and increasing in-state consumption of Maine farm products.