Hot Fries Are Enjoyed Worldwide

Added: 11/08/2005

Introduced first in the early XIX century potato fries have gained popularity in almost no time. Today, it is ¹1 potato recipe. Potato fries is the item covered in all the fast food menus due to the level of popularity among adults and children. Hot fries are great alternative to other potato recipes since it is rather easy-to-cook dish. One can dress it very well with his favorite sauce, so that the taste would be really delicious.

Though, one can taste french fries in most of fast food restaurants, the rates of the dish are not the same. There are three indisputable leaders: McDonald's with the highest rate of 53,99 percents has the best fast food fries, Burger King with 25,86 percents and Wendy's with some smaller rate of 15,97 percents. Hardees (2,28%) and Roy Rogers (1,9%) bring up the rear. Hot fries are usually associated with Andy Capp's, a brand of flavored potato snack. Established in 1971, the owners took out a patent for the name of comics character Andy Capp. The product was made by Goodmark Foods until 1998, when it was bought out by ConAgra Foods.

Originally, Andy Capp's snack had only one flavor but today snack comes in six flavors: Hot Fries, Salsa Fries, Hot Chili Cheese Steak Fries, Cheddar Fries, BBQ Fries and White Cheddar Cheese Steak Fries. Andy Capp's Hot Fries are rather spicy, so they taste the best with some beverage. The snack can be classified as a junk food due to the 130 calories, 54 of which are from fat, and poverty of minerals and vitamins. However, some people are fond of Cheddar Fries, which are served with cheese.

There is a variety of cheeses, which can be used while cooking hot fries. Cheez-Whiz, Swiss cheese and mozzarella are not the whole list of them. For example, such combination as cheese with garlic mayonnaise is rather popular. Hot fries are usually salted after cooking. As it has been already mentioned they can be served with the variety of dressings, the most popular of which are ketchup, mayonnaise, tartar sauce, satay sauce, tomato sauce, vinegar and gravy. In some regions, up to 40 various condiments and complicated combinations of them can be dressed. The dish is especially popular among children. When served in McDonald's, it is a part of Happy Meal menu.

Some people prefer to cook hot fries at home, using large amount of oil, pre-heated to a temperature nearly 190oC. In the majority of fast food restaurants, especially those famous for excellent hot fries, the dish is cooked in two batches. At the first stage, they are cooked at 177oC up to the almost-done readiness but still limp and pale; the second stage requires cooking at a temperature around 190oC for a minute or so, which is sufficient for them to become crisp and golden. The prominent French chief, Joel Robuchon invented the third method, according to which the sliced potatoes are placed into a saucepan filled with cold oil and are cooked over high heat until crisp and golden. Frozen fries are now available in all American supermarkets, so that is not a problem to cook them at home.

However, high temperatures, used while preparing french fries, may have a negative affect on human's health. Moreover, hot fries are rich in fat and calories, but poor which can contribute to obesity. Besides, the dish is short of important vitamins and minerals, vital for the human health. Some fast food restaurants use beef tallow while cooking hot fries. This adds saturated fat to the diet. Those who cannot imagine their life without hot fries do not need to exclude it from the menu - rare and moderate eating is OK.

Rate this article:

Bad

Good

Article comments:

No comments for this article yet. Post your comment now!

Return to top of the page