– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

French fries are one of the most iconic

fast food items in the world. And when

it comes to fries, few names are as

instantly recognizable as McDonald's.

Whether you love them piping hot from

the fryer, dipped in ketchup, or

sneakily stolen from a friend's tray,

McDonald's fries are a guilty pleasure

millions enjoy daily. But here's the

real question. McDonald's French fries,

how are they made? From the farm to the

fryer, there's a fascinating process

behind every golden stick of potato.

Let's break it down step by step right

here on History of Simple Things.

The journey of McDonald's fries doesn't

start in the kitchen. It starts on the

farm. McDonald's sources its potatoes

from large-scale farms, primarily in the

United States, Canada, and other regions

where the climate and soil are perfect

for growing potatoes in bulk.

But not just any potato makes the cut.

McDonald's typically relies on varieties

like Russet, Burbank, Shepardy, and

Ranger Russet. Why these? Because

they're long, starchy, and ideal for

frying. They hold their shape, crisp up

nicely, and have that fluffy inside we

all expect in a fry.

Farmers grow these potatoes over several

months, harvesting them once they've

reached the perfect size. From there,

they're transported in massive trucks to

processing plants.

When the potatoes arrive at the

processing facility, the transformation

into fries begins. Picture an assembly

line, but instead of making cars, it's

making millions of fries. First, the

potatoes are washed thoroughly to remove

dirt and debris. Then they go through a

peeling machine, which strips away their

skins using high pressure steam. This

step is crucial for that smooth, uniform

fry appearance.

Next comes cutting. Potatoes are shot

through grids of sharp blades at high

speed, instantly slicing them into those

perfect, even fry shapes. This ensures

that no matter which McDonald's you go

to, the fries look and cook

consistently.

After being cut, the fries aren't ready

to be fried just yet. They first go

through a blanching process. This means

the fries are partially cooked in hot

water or steam for a short time.

Blanching does two important things. It

removes excess sugars from the potatoes,

which prevents them from browning too

quickly when fried. And it helps achieve

that golden color we all recognize.

It also ensures that the inside texture

becomes light and fluffy rather than

dense. After blanching, the fries are

dried to remove excess moisture. This

step is vital because too much water

would cause splattering once they hit

hot oil.

Here's a step many people don't realize.

McDonald's fries are partially fried

before they even leave the processing

plant. This is called par frying. The

fries are cooked for about a minute in a

blend of oils. This helps set their

outer layer and gives them structure.

Without par frying, the fries would fall

apart or cook unevenly later in

McDonald's restaurants.

But there's another key element here,

flavoring. After par frying, the fries

are lightly coated with a mixture that

enhances their taste. This includes a

natural beef flavoring in some regions,

which has sparked discussions over the

years. In fact, it caused some

controversy when vegetarians and certain

religious groups discovered the use of

beef derived flavoring in the US recipe

back in the early 2000s. Since then,

McDonald's has made efforts to clarify

what's in their fries, though recipes

still differ depending on the country.

Once par fried and flavored, the fries

are frozen quickly to lock in freshness.

They're then packaged and shipped

worldwide.

By the time those frozen fries reach

your local McDonald's, most of the heavy

lifting has already been done. The

restaurant's job is essentially to

finish the cooking process.

Workers take the frozen fries from the

storage freezer and place them into

fryer baskets. Then they're lowered into

hot oil at around 335°

F,

168° C. The frying time is carefully

timed, about 3 minutes, to ensure

perfect crispiness on the outside and

fluffiness inside.

When the fries come out of the fryer,

they're drained and immediately tossed

with salt. Timing here is key. Sultting

right after frying ensures the seasoning

sticks to the hot surface. This final

step transforms a frozen stick of potato

into that irresistible McDonald's fry.

Over the years, McDonald's fries have

been surrounded by myths and

misconceptions.

Some people believe the fries are made

from powdered potatoes or mixed with

strange chemicals to hold their shape.

In reality, they're 100% real potatoes,

just heavily processed for consistency.

Another myth is that the fries don't

decompose. This stems from internet

experiments where people left fries

sitting out for months. What actually

happens is that the fries dry out rather

than rot simply because they have low

moisture content after frying. It's not

that they're indestructible.

It's just basic food science.

When you think about it, McDonald's

fries are more than just food. They're

part of a cultural experience. For many

people, they bring back childhood

memories, road trips, or quick lunches

with friends. Their design, flavor, and

texture are carefully engineered to be

cravew worthy.

It's this combination of science,

consistency, and nostalgia that makes

McDonald's fries stand out. They're not

just fried potatoes. They're a product

of decades of refinement and billions of

dollars of research into what makes

people happy.

So, how are McDonald's French fries

made? It's a journey that starts with

specially grown potatoes, continues

through high-tech processing plants

where they're peeled, cut, blanched, and

parfried, and ends in restaurants where

they're fried to golden perfection and

salted just right. Next time you dip one

into ketchup or sneak a fry from your

friend's carton, remember you're holding

the result of a carefully designed

process that's been perfected for

decades.

Thank you for watching. If you have

suggestions for our next video, feel

free to share them in the comments

below. We'll be sure to give you an

acknowledgement for your contribution.

Thank you for joining us on this journey

through the history of simple things.

Don't forget to like, subscribe, and

stay tuned for more stories woven

through the smallest details.

[Music]

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
fries /fraɪz/ A1	noun - thin strips of potato that are fried
iconic /aɪˈkɒnɪk/ B2	adjective - very famous or popular, especially being considered to represent particular ideas or qualities
fast /fæst/ A2	adjective - moving or capable of moving at high speed
food /fuːd/ A1	noun - any substance that people or animals eat to keep alive
instantly /ˈɪnstəntli/ B2	adverb - immediately
guilty /ˈɡɪlti/ B1	adjective - feeling or showing guilt
pleasure /ˈpleʒər/ B1	noun - a feeling of happy satisfaction and enjoyment
enjoy /ɪnˈdʒɔɪ/ A2	verb - to get pleasure from something
real /riːəl/ A2	adjective - actually existing; not imagined, invented, or theoretical
question /ˈkwes.tʃən/ A1	noun - a sentence or phrase used to find out information
fascinating /ˈfæsɪneɪtɪŋ/ B2	adjective - extremely interesting
process /ˈprɑːses/ B1	noun - a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end
farm /fɑːrm/ A1	noun - an area of land, and the buildings on it, used for growing crops and/or keeping animals
potatoes /pəˈteɪtəʊz/ A1	noun - a starchy plant tuber which is used as a vegetable and is a major food crop.
perfect /ˈpɜːrfɪkt/ A2	adjective - having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be.
shape /ʃeɪp/ A1	noun - the external form or outline of someone or something
cut /kʌt/ A1	verb - to penetrate with a sharp-edged instrument noun - an act of cutting
blanching /ˈblɑːntʃɪŋ/ C1	noun - the process of cooking something quickly in boiling water, and then cooling it
golden /ˈɡəʊldən/ A2	adjective - having the color of gold; yellow
flavoring /ˈfleɪvərɪŋ/ B1	noun - a substance used to give food or drink a particular taste
mixture /ˈmɪkstʃər/ B1	noun - a substance made by mixing other substances together
freshness /ˈfreʃnəs/ B1	noun - the state of being fresh
structure /ˈstrʌktʃər/ B1	noun - the way in which something is built, arranged, or organized
restaurants /ˈrestərɒnts/ A2	noun - a place where people go to eat food that is cooked and served there
cooking /ˈkʊkɪŋ/ A1	noun - the practice or skill of preparing food by heating it
crispiness /ˈkrɪspɪnəs/ B2	noun - the quality of being crisp
texture /ˈtekstʃər/ B1	noun - the feel, appearance, or consistency of a surface or a substance.
irresistible /ˌɪrɪˈzɪstəbəl/ C1	adjective - too attractive and tempting to be resisted.
memories /ˈmeməriz/ A2	noun - a thing that is remembered
design /dɪˈzaɪn/ B1	noun - a plan or drawing produced to show the look and function or workings of a building, garment, or other object before it is built or made. verb - decide upon the look and functioning of (a building, garment, or other object), typically by making a detailed drawing of it.
flavor /ˈfleɪvər/ A2	noun - the particular taste of a food or drink. verb - give flavor to
engineer /ˌendʒɪˈnɪər/ B2	verb - skillfully arrange and bring about (a situation or event)
refinement /rɪˈfaɪnmənt/ C1	noun - the improvement or clarification of something by the making of small changes.
research /rɪˈsɜːrtʃ/ B1	noun - the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions. verb - investigate systematically
grown /ɡrəʊn/ A2	adjective - having reached full size or maturity
high-tech /ˌhaɪˈtek/ B2	adjective - using or involving the latest technology
perfected /pərˈfektɪd/ C1	verb - to make (something) completely free from fault or defect
decade /ˈdekeɪd/ B1	noun - a period of ten years
remember /rɪˈmembər/ A1	verb - to have in or be able to bring to one's mind a piece of information or a past event
specially /ˈspeʃəli/ B1	adverb - for a particular purpose