McDonald’s Sells the Saltiest Fries For This One Main Reason

If you were to ask anyone what the most popular fast-food restaurant was, their answer would most likely be McDonald's. According to Statista, there are currently 41,822 McDonald's worldwide. You can find one in almost every town in the United States and over 100 countries. What is it about this restaurant that gives it so much addicting power? Beyond the kid favorite chicken nuggets and their juicy McChicken sandwiches, one menu item stands out above the rest. The oh-so-delicious and salty fries. So, what sets this restaurant's fries apart from the rest? We are going to take a look at why McDonald's sells the saltiest fries, and it's for this one main reason.

Picture the most popular fast-food restaurant today; what comes to mind? Hamburgers, fries, self-service, right? What about barbeque stands and hot dogs? Those seem a little out of place for this franchise. However, every story has a beginning, and the beginning of the story of McDonald's starts with a hot dog stand and two brothers named Maurice and Richard McDonald.

These brothers entered the food industry by starting a hotdog stand in 1937. Then, a few years later, in 1940, they bought an old drive-through barbeque restaurant in San Bernardino, California, and opened up McDonald's. However, the originally name was McDonald's Famous Barbeque, and the menu was focused on, you guessed it, barbeque. To step up the competition, the brothers used high-powered heat lamps to keep prepared food warm and a system called the Speedee Service System. They also used a self-service counter. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

Kroc sold kitchen appliances to the McDonald brothers and was immediately impressed by their designs and innovative spirit. He bought the rights to franchise the McDonald's restaurant and make it what it is today. By the 1960s, the brothers were ultimately bought out, and Kroc owned the restaurant.

McDonald's is undeniably the most popular fast-food restaurant in the world. With restaurants in over 100 countries worldwide, McDonald's would have a massive global influence.

They take their responsibility seriously. Valuing sustainability by getting involved in social issues and the environment as well. Priorities include food safety, sourcing responsibility, and animal welfare. Additionally, environmental issues that McDonald's feels strongly about include climate action, protecting natural resources, and waste.

McDonald's also has a nonprofit organization called the Ronald McDonald House Charities, which gives families a place to stay or help while their children are in the hospital.

Have you ever heard someone say, well, I like this restaurant's chicken nuggets (or fill in the blank), but McDonald's fries are the best? There's a reason their fries are so iconic.

These reasons include the carefully selected potatoes and the double frying process. This process uses lower heat to cook the fries thoroughly, then a higher heat to make them extra crispy. Which is one reason It is hard to eat only a few of these addicting fries.

Now, let's get down to the nitty gritty: why exactly are McDonald's fries so addictingly salty? Do they toss a ton of salt on there and call it a day? Not quite. McDonald's sells the saltiest fries for this one main reason.

The main reason that McDonald's fries are so salty has to do with what is called the 'bliss point.' It's not just salt that gives us the addicting flavor. It's a combination of salt, sugar, and fat. The fries are cooked in canola oil laced with a natural flavoring similar to beef tallow. Then, the fries are salted and coated with dextrose (sugar.) All three combined add a perfect mouthwatering flavor.

What happens when these flavors are combined explains a little about why these fries are addicting. The dopamine in your brain actually sends a message of pleasure when eating these fries. That is why it is so hard for you to eat only a few fries!

McDonald's has always been a restaurant that doesn't change just to change. Through the years, they have stayed consistently the same. Which is one reason they remain so popular and continue to grow. McDonald's firmly believes that staying consistent helps build trust, awareness, and reliability. If it isn't broke, don't fix it, right?

Though they have stayed largely consistent through the years, things don't always remain the same. Like anything that has been around for a while, there have been some changes with McDonald's fries.

Anyone before 1990 probably claims that McDonald's fries were better than they are now. Why exactly? The reason is because from the beginning until 1990, McDonald's used beef tallow to cook their fries. Originally, this is where the flavor of the McDonald's fries came from.

Yet, in 1990, they switched to canola oil due to health considerations.

Today, McDonald's cooks their fries in a mixture of vegetable oils. These include soybean and canola oils. However, when the change happened, customers weren't happy with the flavor difference. So, McDonald's improvised and now adds beef flavoring which tastes very similar to beef tallow.

Now that you know why McDonald's sells the saltiest fries, it makes sense why customers rave about them so much. The flavoring adds a complex taste that is hard to find at any other restaurant. When you reach into the bag and grab a handful of hot, salty McDonald's French fries, it's almost like you're in heaven. At least for some. While they aren't everyone's bag of chips, (or fries, should we say), not many people can deny that the salty McDonald's fries are oh-so addicting.