Episode 14: French Fries: Our Favorite Side Piece

We’re back! Today we’re getting salty as we kick off Season 2 talking about  the true hero of any fast food meal, the French Fries! But first….are they even French? Lia Ballentine tells us about the national food holidays celebrating French Fries and honoring the sacred potato (our favorite tuber), including some very passionate mashed potato wrestlers. Plus fries’ international origin story, an 18th century Frenchman’s marketing campaign to build love for the spud (#spudlove), the enslaved chef who brought french fries to America via the White House and the early 2000s "controversy" about its name (remember "freedom fries"?).  And we can’t talk about french fries without talking about those Golden Arches. In the Deep Dish, Anna Van Valin dusts off her Foodlosopher hat and tells us the story of the supersized McDrama of the McDonald’s french fry:  the superhero training montage it goes through before it even gets to the restaurant, its humble burger stand beginnings, controversial founder Ray Kroc, a very public fight over fat, and even international religious outrage. That ketchup packet shortage is only the beginning. Welcome to Season 2!

More info from the show:

• Watch a video of how McDonald's french fries are made (including the potato canon) here.
• Watch some very passionate Mashed Potato Wrestling stars talk about their craft.
• Learn more about the founding of McDonald's in The Founder,  starring Michael Keaton, Laura Dern & Nick Offerman

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