French fries

French fries
Type	French fries
Introduced	1951

French fries, also known as french-fried potatoes, are batons of deep-fried potato. They have been served at Jack in the Box since the 1950s, where they are typically included as a side item of combination meals. 

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Lightly salted, real potatoes fried to crispy perfection and served hot. The absolutely classic, perfect accompaniment to everything else on this menu.

Variants

Curly fries

• Curly Fries - characterized by their helical shape, cut from whole potatoes using a specialized spiral slicer.
• Halfsies Fries - Half regular fries, half curly fries. Sold as part of Jack's Munchie Meal.
• Curly Chili Cheese Fries (discontinued)
• Chili Cheese Sauced & Loaded Curly Fries (discontinued)
• Triple Cheese & Bacon Sauced & Loaded Curly Fries (discontinued)
• Natural Cut Fries (discontinued)
• Roost fries (discontinued) - Fries covered in chicken, melted cheese and a mystery sauce.
• Sauced & Loaded Waffle Fries (discontinued)
• Sweet Potato Fries (discontinued)

Background

Originating from either Belgium or France, french fries are prepared by cutting the potato into even strips, then drying and frying it, usually in a deep fryer. Most are produced from frozen Russet potatoes.

French fries are served hot, either soft or crispy, and are generally eaten as part of lunch or dinner or by themselves as a snack, and they commonly appear on the menus of diners, fast food restaurants, pubs, and bars. They are often salted and may be served with ketchup, vinegar, mayonnaise, tomato sauce, or other local specialties. Fries can be topped more heavily, as in the dishes of poutine or chili cheese fries. Chips can be made from sweet potatoes instead of potatoes. A baked variant, oven chips, uses less oil or no oil.

Although french fries were a popular dish in most British Commonwealth countries, the "thin style" french fries have been popularized worldwide in large part by the large American fast food chains such as McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's. In the United States, the J. R. Simplot Company is credited with successfully commercializing french fries in frozen form during the 1940s. Subsequently, in 1967, Ray Kroc of McDonald's contracted the Simplot company to supply them with frozen fries, replacing fresh-cut potatoes. In 2004, 29% of the United States' potato crop was used to make frozen fries – 90% consumed by the food services sector and 10% by retail. The United States is also known for supplying China with most of their french fries as 70% of China's french fries are imported.

Pre-made french fries have been available for home cooking since the 1960s, having been pre-fried (or sometimes baked), frozen and placed in a sealed plastic bag. Some fast-food chains dip the fries in a sugar solution or a starch batter, to alter the appearance or texture. French fries are one of the most popular dishes in the United States, commonly being served as a side dish to entrees and being seen in fast food restaurants. The average American eats around 30 pounds of french fries a year.

Gallery

A 1970s-era french fry wrapper.

Reception

Jack in the Box's french fries ranked 26 out of 36 fast food fries in a 2024 Mashed ranking. A reviewer for The Fries Blog deemed them "basic, no frills, straightforward fries yet they satisfied our palate through meticulous balancing of the entire experience with its crisp and crunch to the perfect amount of saltiness."

See also

• Frings