10 Types Of Fries That We Know And Love

Something magical happens when you cut a potato and deep-fry it. Something wonderful.

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The humble potato, Solanum tuberosum, made up of starch, water, and love, came into our hearts at the dawn of civilization — or close enough to that time to lead to a modern consumption of almost 75 pounds per person per year.

The beloved spud can be hashed, mashed, totted, and fried. Julienned and deep-fried, this tuber fills a void in our beings that few other foods can. Fries give us crispy, salty, savory, joy and cholesterol problems — and it's worth it.

1. The Common Fry

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These golden-brown beauties are the commonest of fries. Rectangular prisms of divine love, these are the standard.

2. Crinkle-Cut

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These glorious creatures are a subtle improvement on the typical fry. Their wavy exterior increases the surface area for frying and have the capacity to be at least twice as crispy. As with most crimped things, they say, "I'm fun, flirty, and a little sleazy."

3. Curly Fries

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Generally enrobed in a delicious seasoning, these potato-coils taste like friendship. They're whimsical and wonderful. They're a rarer species of the fry but bring a world of happiness with them wherever they go.

4. Waffle Fry

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A woven masterpiece of potato and magic, this permutation of the fry capitalizes on crunch while maintaining the fluffy soul so characteristic of the lovely spud.

5. Shoestring Potato

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Thin and dainty, this variation on the fry might seem an obvious vehicle in which to present the potato, but balancing crunch to fluff is always a challenge in something so petite. These are perfect for bold seasoning, having a smaller surface area and a larger crispness than their common cousins.

6. The Proper Chip

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Returning to fries of size, this well-respected fry is more properly called a "chip". Of British origin, this fry goes for an uneven balance in the fluff-to-crunch ratio. Shorter, and maybe even stumpier, than its relatives, this cute guy needs nothing but a willing consumer to spread the joy.

7. Steak Fries

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Like the chip's dashing older brother, this handsome devil is a bit longer than than the chip and about twice as wide as the common fry. A wonderful vehicle for dips and seasoning, this dude offers a more substantial portion of potato in every fry.

8. Potato Wedges

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Filling the baskets of convenience stores across the country, or at least the South, these plump fiends are heavy on sumptuous fluff. Tamely crisp and perfectly seasoned, these are good for any time of the day. About an eighth of a potato in every wedge, these are big, bold, and beautiful.

9. Sweet Potato Fry

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Technically outside the category but linked to the un-sweet potato fry in spirit, this fry can be savory or sweet. That being said, this is not just the common fry with a bad fake suntan. It's a world of its own.

10. Blue Potato French Fry

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Potatoes come in all shapes and size...and colors. This exotic blue variation is just one more way that the fry has been interpreted.

And I'll leave you with this...

joythebaker.com

Perfecting the homemade fry is not easy. But as you try, be bold. Try adding interesting seasonings to the crispy fellas for a new experience. Here's a link to five flavor ideas (zesty "original," garlic, Southwestern, Asian-style, and ranch). Do it!