America’s favorite side dish can be a hit or miss

Max Mayleben
Media Editor

When I was asked to write an opinion piece on something that I am passionate about, I had a few ideas cross my mind. 

I could write about the Corona virus, the Trump hearings, or even the MSU All-Sports Dome. But one thing came to mind, a topic that I am extremely passionate about. Fries.

So, here is my breakdown of what I believe to be the best and the worst of the fried potato.

Topping off my list, is the beloved curly fry. I am hard pressed to find something wrong with this beautiful piece of culinary artwork. To start, the shape is everything you want in a fry and more. 

It is fun, unique, and most of all, exciting. Like a snowflake, every fry is different and special in its own way. From the small, crunchy curls, to the huge spring-like structures, curly fries keep you on your toes and keep you guessing. The next important category to analyze is the seasoning.

There may be outliers, but more often than not, curly fries come loaded with extremely flavorful seasoning. Any curly fry worth its salt (no pun intended) will have more than just salt. 

The mouthwatering array of spices on any given curly fry is enough to make curly fries the top of the line, when it comes to fries.

Before I explain the worst of the worst, its time to bring up some honorable mentions.

While it may not be my personal favorite, the waffle fry seems to be up there on most people’s list when it comes to the best. The argument to be made for the waffle fry, is its texture, the size of each fry, and its ability to hold seasoning.

Another key player in the fry world is the shoe-string fries.

Whether you get them from McDonald’s or the State Fair, this tried and true classic will hardly ever fail you. The biggest thing the shoe-string fry has going for is it’s reliability. I would refer to this fry as the French fry.

And now, the garbage. The absolute bottom of the pile. The crinkle cut fry. Crinkle cut fries should hardly be considered a fry. 

If there is a crinkle cut fry in existence that is not under-cooked, I have yet to taste one. 

The thickness and the crinkle of the fry lead to a number of problems too large to ignore. 

The softness of the middle feels like you are eating a plain mashed potato in stick form. The crinkle causes the fry to catch little to no seasoning or salt. Having no fry is better than having a crinkle cut fry.

Header photo courtesy of Flickr.