Chapter 5. “ Why the Fries Taste Good ”

1. Chapter 5. “Why the Fries Taste Good” By: Aaron Shears, Brad Sikes

2. Path of the French Fry • J.R. Simplot dropped out of school in 8th grade, and grew up to start potato farming. • Won his potato sorter in a coin toss with his former partner and went on to make his own business. • Became the leading source for potatoes and became a multi-billionaire at a very young age.

3. McDonalds • Traditionally French fries were very tedious and time consuming to make. • J.R. Simplot came up with the idea of the frozen fry which was originally shut down. • McDonalds gave his frozen fry a chance but without a committed contract. Customers could not taste the difference and they were saving money. • He soon became the leading provider to most fast food chains.

4. Cont’d • The main reason that customers could not taste the difference in the fries is that the potato itself doesn’t determine the taste, but more the grease that it is cooked in. • Their oil consisted of 7% cottonseed oil and 93% beef tallow.

5. Tastes of different foods • Babies like sweet tastes and reject bitter ones , scientists have rubbed different types of flavors in babies mouths and watched their facial reactions to the bitter ones.

6. millions and millions of fries • Lamb Weston invented the Lamb water gun knife. It uses a high pressure hose to shoot potatoes at a speed of 117 feet per second through a grid of sharpened steel blades, creating perfectly cut fries.