Which Chips (or Fries) Are the Best?

[TiQuinn]

Arby’s fries are so damn good, not gonna lie.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Perhaps, but freezing cooked starchy foods (potatoes, pasta, rice) also drastically lowers their glycemic impact... so if that's a concern, you can now eat more fries to make up the difference!

Most of the glycemic index of chips is the oil, not the potato.

 

[Distracted DM]

Most of the glycemic index of chips is the oil, not the potato.

I mean, it was a joke (make up for lower vitamin C by just eating more fries!) but... is that right? I thought the GI of most oils were zero.

 

[dbolack]

I've been told (in this thread) that American "steak fries" are pretty close to the chips served at many of the UK's "fish & chips" shops. So maybe it's cultural influence.

Some places the distinction between is neglifible.

 

[Tonguez]

I mean, it was a joke (make up for lower vitamin C by just eating more fries!) but... is that right? I thought the GI of most oils were zero.

it is, GI is a measure of blood sugar levels and is based on carbohydrate load adjusted via cooking, most oils have practically zero carbs. Funnily enough cooking in oil actually lowers GI but increases Cholesterol

 

[Paul Farquhar]

it is, GI is a measure of blood sugar levels and is based on carbohydrate load adjusted via cooking, most oils have practically zero carbs. Funnily enough cooking in oil actually lowers GI but increases Cholesterol

You are right, I was confusing carbs with fats.

Carbs not really a problem unless you are diabetic or overweight.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Are tater tots more like hashbrowns than fries?

To my view, more or less, along with potato cakes (I should note I like all three of the above when done right).

 

[Thomas Shey]

The closest "style" of fry in the US that'd be like one from a chippie shop would be the steak fry.

That's what I've heard before, though as I recall there's some nuance in terms of interior/exterior crispness that I don't remember properly.

"...steak fries and British chips are not the same. While steak fries are thick and rectangular, British chips are thicker and cut into long, oblong-shaped pieces. British chips also have a slightly softer interior compared to the fluffy texture of steak fries."
-- Chef's Resource

Ah, there we go. But I'm not quite clear the distinction they're making with "oblong-shaped" here.

 

[Thomas Shey]

I think it's hard to go wrong with French fried potatoes no matter the specific style. It's like discussing which is better, Alien or Aliens, Star Wars or The Empire Strikes Back, or Blade Runner or Blade Runner 2049. No matter which one you pick, I'm not going to try to talk you out of it because they're all great.

Honestly, I find it requires some work to go wrong with potatoes. Some versions only work when hot, but past that...

 

[Thomas Shey]

I can't believe there isn't a single vote for waffle fries. My niece and nephews would be appalled.

They're probably be my second choice, though there's some serious variation there: I find the ones from Carl's Jr. far superior to the ones from Chik-Fil-A.