Fry or foe?
While few could argue that French fries are one of America’s staple snack foods — as evidenced by July 10’s national French Fry Day and Los Angeles’ recent inaugural French Fry Festival — it’s apparently up for debate which style of fried spud reigns supreme.
A recently resurfaced clip of Canadian-American comedian and producer Will Arnett on the “Off Menu” podcast (run by comedian hosts Ed Gamble and James Acaster) featured the famed entertainer expressing his distaste for shoestring fries — a side dish he boldly proclaimed “everybody hates.”
“If you serve me what they call shoestring fries, we have a problem,” said Arnett, referring to the type of fry also called “matchstick fries” for their long, thin shape. Due to their thinness, they cook faster than other fry types and are typically the crispiest of the bunch.
He added that he believes restaurants that serve them “can’t handle the truth” that customers secretly hate them.
Arnett also emphasized that he prefers a “nice, medium-cut, dark, golden-brown French fry,” and that he views France as a place to get a good “steak-frites” type fry like this (the common name for a steak-and-fry dinner combo in France).
The remark has sparked a sizzling debate about which type of fry tops them all — or flops for the culinary category.
“100% on board with the shoestring fry take,” said one YouTube commenter.
“Finally a rant about shoestring fries,” said another. “Couldn’t agree more.”
Other commenters disagreed, showing up in droves for their shoestring fave.
“Noooo, shoestring fries are the best!” argued one commenter. “People like them, I swear! They’re so crispy!”
“I hate steak cut fries, shoestring for life…ba-by!” agreed another.
According to a 2022 YouGov survey, America’s tastes lean slightly in favor of steak fries, with 22 percent of the 1,000 adults surveyed reporting that they liked the thicker, more doughy cut.
21 percent preferred curly fries, while an additional 21 percent had no preference at all.
19 percent went for crinkle-cut fries, 12 percent chose waffle fries as their favorite and 6 percent answered “not applicable.”
No matter how they’re cut, French fries aren’t exactly a health food. The tasty treats are chock-full of saturated fat, sodium and trans fats, which can lead to elevated LDL cholesterol, blood pressure and an increased level of plaque buildup in the arteries.
Dr. Evan Shlofmitz, an interventional cardiologist with Catholic Health, recently told The Post that while enjoying the salty snack on an occasional basis is OK, choosing to swap them for a heart-healthy alternative — or preparing them in an air-fryer — every once in a while can be beneficial for long-term health.
“Air frying still [allows for] foods that taste good and [are] enjoyable to snack on, [but] in a much healthier way,” Shlofmitz, who also serves as director of intravascular imaging at St. Francis Hospital, said.
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