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The origin of French fries is a source of contention between several countries. Everyone strives to appropriate it for themselves. But, apparently, it is not possible to determine exactly who and when invented French fries.
Belgium.
Fried potatoes, like french fries, are thought to have originated in Belgium. But based on another very popular name for French potatoes (French Fries), their French neighbors tend to attribute the authorship to themselves. Historically, French culture, including cuisine, has dominated internationally and Belgian credit for this is somewhat diminished.
Belgian journalist Jo Gérard claims that a family manuscript from 1781 describes the process of frying potatoes in a method similar to deep frying. This was before 1680 in what is now Belgium. At a time when the river was frozen and fishing was difficult, local residents cut potatoes into small pieces, in the form of small fish, and placed them in a roasting pan. The journalist did not provide the same manuscript and many doubt that poor peasants could afford such a large amount of fat for frying potatoes.
France.
Antoine Auguste Parmentier was a proponent of higher potato consumption on the eve of the French Revolution. Therefore, many are inclined to believe that the French potato was invented by street vendors on the Pont Neuf bridge in Paris in 1789. The only catch is that the famous promoter of potato cultivation did not mention the method of its preparation.
Spain.
In Spain, French fries are called Patatas Fritas or Papas Fritas. Some people are more inclined towards the Spanish origin of the dish, since Spain was the first European country where potatoes were brought from the New World. Here, French fries were allegedly served as a side dish for fish dishes in Galicia, and later in other parts of Spain. More than 100 years later, a similar method became known in the Spanish Netherlands, that is, in the territory of present-day Belgium.
Let's leave questions of origin to historians and look at how French fries are prepared in McDonald's restaurants. We have already described the production process.
Frozen French fries
Because French fries are so popular at McDonald's, they are shipped from distribution centers by the pallet rather than in individual cases. It is worth mentioning here the importance of maintaining the temperature of the frozen product at all stages of transportation.
If at any stage, no matter for what reason, be it equipment failure or simple negligence, the temperature rises and the potato straws begin to thaw, then during further storage with a new freeze, the straws may stick together and lose their initial structure. In this case, the deterioration in the quality of the finished French fries is also obvious; this can be expressed in color, consistency and in broken straws that break when trying to separate the newly frozen and stuck together product.
One such box contains 5 bags of 2.5 kilograms of potatoes, a total of 12.5 kilograms.
Frozen potatoes can be stored for 12 months, but as you understand, the product is so in demand that it never reaches the expiration date. And the production process itself is continuous.
Calorie content, nutritional value
Let's look at the nutritional value and calorie content of French fries (standard portion) from McDonald's.
| Name | Value (g/ RI) |
| Calories | 330 kcal / 16% |
| The nutritional value | 1379 kJ / 16% |
| Squirrels | 3.9 g / 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 41 g / 16% |
| Fats | 16 g / 22% |
| Saturated fats | 1.5 g / 7% |
| Sugar | 0.4 g |
| Salt | 0.53 g / 9% |
| Cellulose | 4 g |
* RI (Reference intake) is the average reference value of daily intake for persons over 18 years of age (8400 kJ / 2000 kcal).
Note ! Are you wondering how long it will take to burn off the calories from French Fries? Then check out the tables below.
How long does it take to burn calories from French Fries (standard serving) when running?
| Weight/speed | 10 km/h | 12 km/h | 14 km/h | 16 km/h | 18 km/h |
| 60 kg | 33 min | 26 min | 24 min | 21 min | 18 min |
| 65 kg | 31 min | 25 min | 22 min | 19 min | 17 min |
| 70 kg | 28 min | 23 min | 20 minutes | 18 min | 16 min |
| 75 kg | 26 min | 21 min | 19 min | 17 min | 15 minutes |
| 80 kg | 25 min | 20 minutes | 18 min | 16 min | 14 min |
| 85 kg | 23 min | 19 min | 17 min | 15 minutes | 13 min |
| 90 kg | 22 min | 18 min | 16 min | 14 min | 12 min |
| 95 kg | 21 min | 17 min | 15 minutes | 13 min | 12 min |
How long does it take to burn calories from French Fries (standard serving) when walking?
| Weight/speed | 3 km/h | 4 km/h | 5 km/h | 6 km/h | 7 km/h | 8 km/h | 9 km/h |
| 50 kg | 158 min | 124 min | 108 min | 92 min | 68 min | 53 min | 41 min |
| 55 kg | 144 min | 112 min | 98 min | 83 min | 62 min | 48 min | 37 min |
| 60 kg | 132 min | 103 min | 90 min | 76 min | 57 min | 44 min | 34 min |
| 65 kg | 122 min | 95 min | 83 min | 70 min | 52 min | 41 min | 32 min |
| 70 kg | 113 min | 89 min | 77 min | 65 min | 49 min | 38 min | 29 min |
| 75 kg | 106 min | 83 min | 72 min | 61 min | 45 min | 35 min | 28 min |
| 80 kg | 99 min | 77 min | 67 min | 57 min | 43 min | 33 min | 26 min |
| 85 kg | 93 min | 73 min | 64 min | 54 min | 40 min | 31 min | 24 min |
| 90 kg | 88 min | 69 min | 60 min | 51 min | 38 min | 30 min | 23 min |
Photo of French fries
McDonald's standards
The length of potato straws is one of the quality indicators. The company's requirements for suppliers are as follows:
- 40% 7.5 centimeters and longer
- 40% from 5 to 7.5 centimeters
- 20% 5 centimeters and shorter
In case of deviation in length up or down, the product consumption increases or decreases accordingly. This is reflected primarily in cost costs. For greater clarity, the more short straws, the more finished product is placed in the package and vice versa.
Cooking French fries
Potatoes, as many probably know, are deep-fried and frozen. Oil temperature is 168 degrees and frying time is 3 minutes.
Ready potatoes can be stored for only 5 minutes. During this time it must be sold, otherwise the product should be written off. Based on this information, in order to have fresh, ready-made potatoes, you need to start frying a new batch a maximum of 2 minutes after cooking the previous batch.
Some interesting facts: the baths are used alternately to avoid uneven wear of the oil. If it is necessary to place two baskets of French fries in one tray, then the second basket can be placed 30 seconds after the first. The purpose of this delay is to allow the oil to warm up after the temperature drops from the first basket. If such a standard did not exist, then the golden crust would not form as intended. Potatoes would be more likely to be boiled.
In the kitchen, French fries are poured into a special machine, which dispenses the product in different portions, depending on settings and needs. This machine also maintains sub-zero temperatures to preserve potatoes.
The worker just needs to place the basket all the way into the desired compartment, at the same time the sensor button is pressed and the potatoes are instantly dosed into the basket and are ready for frying.
After the frying process is completed, remove the basket from the fryer and allow the oil to drain for 5-10 seconds. Next, the contents are poured into a special tray, where the temperature of the potatoes is maintained, and the already packaged product is packaged and stored. The bath is divided into 3 compartments by partitions - mixing different batches of potatoes is strictly prohibited.
5 incandescent lamps of 375 watts each are responsible for maintaining the temperature.
French fries: weight, calorie content and nutritional value
The tables contain information about the content of protein, fat and carbohydrates and the calorie content of King Fries depending on the serving size.
Small portion (junior)
| Name | One portion | For 100 gr. |
| Weight (g) | 106,0 | 100,0 |
| Energy value (kcal) | 287,8 | 271,5 |
| Energy value (kJ) | 1205,0 | 1136,8 |
| Proteins (gr.) | 3,8 | 3,6 |
| Fats (gr.) | 11,7 | 11,0 |
| Carbohydrates (gr.) | 41,9 | 39,5 |
Medium portion (standard)
| Name | One portion | For 100 gr. |
| Weight (g) | 126,0 | 100,0 |
| Energy value (kcal) | 342,1 | 271,5 |
| Energy value (kJ) | 1432,3 | 1136,8 |
| Proteins (gr.) | 4,5 | 3,6 |
| Fats (gr.) | 13,9 | 11,0 |
| Carbohydrates (gr.) | 49,8 | 39,5 |
Large portion
| Name | One portion | For 100 gr. |
| Weight (g) | 160,0 | 100,0 |
| Energy value (kcal) | 434,4 | 271,5 |
| Energy value (kJ) | 1818,75 | 1136,8 |
| Proteins (gr.) | 5,8 | 3,6 |
| Fats (gr.) | 17,6 | 11,0 |
| Carbohydrates (gr.) | 63,2 | 39,5 |
Characteristics of quality French fries
- Golden crust
- Hot and crispy
- Not too greasy
- The internal structure is soft, reminiscent of puree
- The outer layer is easily separated from the inner
The golden crust should be a uniform color, not too dark and not too light. A knowledgeable person can easily determine its color by eye.
To meet the standards, the potato crust must be quite thin, otherwise the product will not be crispy, but rather hard. The crust is formed due to the high temperature of frying for a short time and consists of many tiny bubbles that make McDonald's fries crispy.
If you take a straw of fresh French fries and try to break it, then ideally it should break, not bend. If this does not happen, then you received not very high-quality potatoes.
The crust should separate from the inner contents. The internal structure resembles mashed potatoes with a pronounced aroma.
Advantageous offers and promotions
As always, if you take advantage of promotional offers, you can buy fries cheaper! Currently, the chain's restaurants are running a McCombo promotion; the offer will help you save and enjoy the perfect combination of McDonald's dishes.
- Filet-o-Fish McCombo with fish fillet, drink and McDonald's crispy potatoes.
- Chicken Premier McCombo with chicken sandwich - tender chopped chicken fillet in a crispy breading, fries and a drink.
- Chicken Strips 7 pcs McCombo - these are seven fried strips, a hot or cold carbonated drink of the buyer's choice and crispy fries.
You can always get acquainted with photographs of other dishes, prices and their composition in the McDonald's menu and prices section.
Main problems
If the storage or preparation process is not correct, the French fries do not fully meet McDonald's standards. The quality of the product, of course, is also affected by the condition of the vegetable oil in deep frying. You cannot get an even golden crust if the oil is already black and needs to be replaced.
Potatoes are too fatty and soft - the reasons for this may be insufficient frying time, low oil temperature, old oil, or the shelf life of the semi-finished product has been exceeded.
Cold potatoes - the finished product was stored for more than the specified time, new and old batches were mixed, the basket with ready-made potatoes hung over the fryer for too long, or not all incandescent lamps are on.
For example: if the potato is old, cold, too fatty, then it does not break, but only bends. It looks something like this:
