Re:Why McDonald's Fries Taste So Good
by johnyzee on Wednesday November 19, 2008 @07:52AM
(#369420)
Very interesting. Seemed to be pretty balanced too, contrary to the popular 'food additives == evil' meme. I was actually surprised at the extent of natural ingredients this industry relies on.
I liked this piece:
"A typical artificial strawberry flavor, like the kind found in a Burger King strawberry milk shake, contains the following ingredients:
Re:Why McDonald's Fries Taste So Good
by narag on Wednesday November 19, 2008 @10:12AM
(#369513)
Some years ago, I saw a tv documental that was almost identical to this text: McDonalds' fries, natural vs. artificial aromas, the New Jersey hub of fragance companies... I thought that this was a transcript of the show, except the tv version included interviews. Anyway, it doesn't seem conspiratory at all.
Re:Why McDonald's Fries Taste So Good
by pmjordan on Wednesday November 19, 2008 @07:12AM
(#369399)
As the article says, "taste" (mostly smell, really) is highly subjective and influenced by experience and the tastes of people around you, especially as a child. Many people seem to be trained such that they perceive McDonald's as tasting good. Personally, I agree with you on its taste though.
Re:Why McDonald's Fries Taste So Good
by electromagnetic on Wednesday November 19, 2008 @12:20PM
(#369656)
I don't find McDonald's fries particularly smell of anything. I don't really dislike the taste, but for me the texture is poor. I was born and raised in England, so I had Fish & Chips and the invariable logic where I lived was the bigger the better so you could literally find a 'fry' that was half an inch thick and instead of being deep fried they're only fried until they're cooked and crisp on the outside.
My wife thinks McDonalds fries have the perfect texture, me personally I think they're sticks of fried vegetable fat with the potato extracted.
Re:Why McDonald's Fries Taste So Good
by Prrometheus on Wednesday November 19, 2008 @02:01PM
(#369781)
The problem with thick fries (sometimes called "steak fries") is that they radiate heat very slowly. You can pick up a thin, crunchy fry, blow on it, and it will be ready to eat in seconds. The thick fries, while delicious, have burnt me many times.
Re:Why McDonald's Fries Taste So Good
by tjpick on Wednesday November 19, 2008 @05:02PM
(#369992)
may I suggest you use an alternative product - a packet of potato chips. They are tasty, salty, delicious, cooked in oil and bad for your heart - all the properties of fries but without the objectionable burning sensation that is an intrinsic property of hot foods.
Re:Why McDonald's Fries Taste So Good
by pfedor on Wednesday November 19, 2008 @11:38PM
(#370321)
To the contrary, perceiving McDonald's food as tasty is the natural state, that's why children love McDonald's. Only later some of them become liberal intellectuals and train themselves into not liking it.
Re:Why McDonald's Fries Taste So Good
by jimbokun on Thursday November 20, 2008 @01:04AM
(#370381)
I remember one of the first times taking my son to McDonald's, explicitly thinking that we were going to get some unhealthy food, but, hey kids love McDonald's, and it's just this once.
I got him a burger and fries. He tried them, but was not interested at all. (The milkshake on the other hand...)
I found myself going into dinner time Daddy mode: "You shouldn't waste that food, here, take a few more bites..."
When it hit me...what the Hell was I doing? I was trying to force my kid to like McDonald's. What kind of awful parent was I turning into?
So we got up, took the milkshake with us, and left.
(Since then, I think he has been socialized into liking McDonald's by peer and grandparent influence. But I dispute the contention that liking McDonald's food is a "natural" state.)
Re:Why McDonald's Fries Taste So Good
by tptacek on Wednesday November 19, 2008 @08:38AM
(#369447)
A lot of very credible food writers disagree with you; for instance, when Jeffrey Steingarten wrote an essay comparing gourmet ketchups to Heinz, he used McDonalds fries as the vehicle for them because of their high quality. I don't love them either, but still.
Re:Why McDonald's Fries Taste So Good
by nuclear_eclipse on Wednesday November 19, 2008 @08:57AM
(#369462)
I worked at two McDonald's off and on while in high school and university, for about a total of three years combined, and I have to say that, unfortunately, I still love the way their burgers taste better than any other restaurant chain. It's something I've enjoyed every since I can remember, and that's probably a large influence.
However, I will agree that while I still like their fries, I much prefer the fries sold at Burger King and other various "local" chains, like Steak 'n Shake, etc...
Re:Why McDonald's Fries Taste So Good
by ryanb on Wednesday November 19, 2008 @11:51AM
(#369622)
Five Guys is really blowing up right now. I'd like to see the figures on exactly how fast they're growing, but I see new Five Guys chains popping up everywhere and they seem to be extremely popular.
Re:Why McDonald's Fries Taste So Good
by fallentimes on Wednesday November 19, 2008 @02:13PM
(#369788)
I used to live in DC and miss it so much. It's a family owned business (last time I checked) and when the founders' kids were about to graduate from high school he gave them the choice: start Five Guys or go to college.
From the looks of it, they made the right decision.
Re:Why McDonald's Fries Taste So Good
by weegee on Wednesday November 19, 2008 @10:34AM
(#369524)
I hate the way McDonalds consistently undercooks their fries. They come in the bag limp and chewy instead of crunchy. I too prefer fries elsewhere, Dicks Drive-In in Seattle has delicious fries, for example.
I liked this piece:
"A typical artificial strawberry flavor, like the kind found in a Burger King strawberry milk shake, contains the following ingredients:
amyl acetate, amyl butyrate, amyl valerate, anethol, anisyl formate, benzyl acetate, benzyl isobutyrate, butyric acid, cinnamyl isobutyrate, cinnamyl valerate, cognac essential oil, diacetyl, dipropyl ketone, ethyl acetate, ethyl amyl ketone, ethyl butyrate, ethyl cinnamate, ethyl heptanoate, ethyl heptylate, ethyl lactate, ethyl methylphenylglycidate, ethyl nitrate, ethyl propionate, ethyl valerate, heliotropin, hydroxyphenyl-2-butanone (10 percent solution in alcohol), a-ionone, isobutyl anthranilate, isobutyl butyrate, lemon essential oil, maltol, 4-methylacetophenone, methyl anthranilate, methyl benzoate, methyl cinnamate, methyl heptine carbonate, methyl naphthyl ketone, methyl salicylate, mint essential oil, neroli essential oil, nerolin, neryl isobutyrate, orris butter, phenethyl alcohol, rose, rum ether, g-undecalactone, vanillin, and solvent."
isobutyl anthranilate is only so-so though.
"Fort Stockton, Texas - A Football Field Sized Boomerang Shaped UFO"
http://www.rense.com/general76/footufo.htm
"War On Iran: The Perfect Storm From Hell"
http://www.rense.com/general82/perf.htm
"Need A Cooker? Use Your Cell Phone" (Describes using a cell phone to cook an egg.)
http://www.rense.com/general72/cellcook.htm
"Rense UFO DataPage"
http://www.rense.com/ufo/ufo.htm
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2001/01/index.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_Food_Nation
Though I suppose the fact that this article is actually just copied (plagiarized?) from The Atlantic may lend it some credibility...
My wife thinks McDonalds fries have the perfect texture, me personally I think they're sticks of fried vegetable fat with the potato extracted.
I got him a burger and fries. He tried them, but was not interested at all. (The milkshake on the other hand...)
I found myself going into dinner time Daddy mode: "You shouldn't waste that food, here, take a few more bites..."
When it hit me...what the Hell was I doing? I was trying to force my kid to like McDonald's. What kind of awful parent was I turning into?
So we got up, took the milkshake with us, and left.
(Since then, I think he has been socialized into liking McDonald's by peer and grandparent influence. But I dispute the contention that liking McDonald's food is a "natural" state.)
However, I will agree that while I still like their fries, I much prefer the fries sold at Burger King and other various "local" chains, like Steak 'n Shake, etc...
From the looks of it, they made the right decision.
However, if you're looking for the best thick-burgers in the world, you have to live in Atlanta and patronize the Vortex.
Looks like it's a throwback, considering the 90s styling of the site.