French fries are a popular side dish in the United States. A lot of people eat them plain, with no sauces, though many people prefer to dip their fries. Now the question is, what do people prefer to dip them in? What is the one sauce to rule them all? How about a deep dive into a French fry’s best friend!
The most common sauce that people use to dip their fries in is ketchup; a sweet but tart substance that pairs perfectly with crispy salty fries. Of the 51% of people who do like dipping sauce, most prefer ketchup. An article states that 39% of people prefer to dip their fries in ketchup.
Although ketchup is what people normally use, there are many other types of things that people use like Chick- Fil-A sauce, honey mustard, salt, cheese, chili, and even ice cream or a milkshake. Ice cream may be odd, but it isn’t the only unusual combination; other people like mayonnaise, gravy, maybe even garlic to give it a little kick, hot sauce, soy sauce, BBQ sauce, and ranch. Many people also like to combine their dipping products such as ketchup mixed with honey mustard, honey mustard mixed with Chick-Fil-A sauce, ketchup mixed with ranch, and many more.
Even though ketchup is the industry standard, there is a popular newcomer that everyone seems to love. For example, Chick-Fil-A sauce is a good condiment to dip your fries in. An article states that 46.08% of respondents like it, some saying it’s just a tastier version of mustard. Speaking of mustard, we can’t forget honey mustard, which a lot of people enjoy on hot dogs or burgers, though there isn’t much conversation on how good it is with french-fries, but an article states that honey mustard it is one of the most popular mustards other than the classic American mustard was “lead with 29.55% of the votes.
Aside from sauces and delicious desserts, fries also pair well with other things like cheese or chili. Many people prefer cheese with anything, so what’s the harm with trying it with fries? 13% of people prefer this, based on an article, especially with multiple cheeses combined, like American and Swiss. People also use chili on these fries, increasing the number of people that like them to 15% based on an article.
Some people like unique flavors with their fries–and don’t knock these until you try them! According to an article about how much British people like gravy, 20% of people use gravy for all sorts of things, including as a sauce for fries. Canadians even have a famous dish called poutine that is fries with gravy and cheese curds on top.
Another unique combination for fries is garlic, but for those who tried, it only 6% of people liked it based on an article. If this isn’t spicy enough for you, hot sauce has some fans, while others don’t like the heat. For those who can take the heat, the combination of fries and hot sauce is great!
According to an article, some also think that soy sauce is good with fries. Some also enjoy mayonnaise, and although surprising, an article found that 1 in 3 like this pairing. Though many people prefer ranch on salad, according to an article at The Daily Meal, 30.79% of people who took the survey enjoy their fries accompanied by ranch. Barbeque sauce is known to pair well with ribs or steak, but 21.03% of people prefer it with fries.
Another popular combination with fries is something sweet, such as ice cream or a milkshake, which is not something that most people would try at first place. Though, 85.02% of people seem to like it once they tried it based on an article.
Just like how there are many different types of dipping products, there are many different types of fries you could choose from like waffle fries, curly fries, straight fries, smiley fries, crinkle cut fries, wedge fries, steak cut fries, sweet potato fries, fries with skin, and fries with no skin. Some fries go with certain places; for instance, curly fries are normally sold in cafeterias at school, or at some fast-food restaurants. Waffle fries are a huge hit at Chick- Fil-A. Some people say it’s basically what boosted their popularity, other than their chicken sandwiches. Smiley-face fries are popular among children, especially for their home-made lunches. Straight fries, or in other words, regular fries, like at McDonalds or Wendy’s, are popular for their thin amounts of potato and saltiness.
Dipping your fries in ice-cream isn’t the only way you can taste a sweet fry. Sweet potato fries are favored by many of those who were born in North Carolina as it says in an article “Since North Carolina is the nation’s top sweet potato producer, you’re likely already buying sweet potatoes grown within the state.” Last but not least, steak cut fries, which are similar to regular fries, are most popular at steakhouses. According to an article “21 percent” of people like them.
To sum it up, even though there are many things you can dip your fries in, for most people, the most popular dipping product is ketchup. Fun fact: ketchup has been around since the year 1812 and if you want to read more about it, this website contains more information.
