Quick, name your favorite style of french fry.
Chances are slim that your top pick aligns with that of a list that is audacious enough to, get this, rank all style of fries.
Food site Food Republic polled staffers and members of the restaurant community to come up with the results, which were originally posted last year but found new life over the weekend on social media, where it, naturally, sparked a firestorm of debate. Spoilers ahead.
The No. 1 pick was...the waffle fry. Seriously people? The waffle fry? Belgian fries came in next, followed by tater tots.
It's not that we don't like waffle fries, but really, the the best fry ever? From the thousands of retweets and replies, we're guessing we're not the only one who had feelings about the list.
"View at your own risk. This is the most controversial ranking I've ever seen on Twitter," user @CriminelleLaw wrote.
One comment thread on Twitter sums up the controversy nicely: "Seriously depends on what you're pairing with no?" commenter @Eaches said. "Like fine wine, yes," @CriminelleLaw replied.
Totally. Different situations call for different fries, which is why it may be a pointless exercise to rank them.
Just as you wouldn't drink a heavy glass of red Bordeaux with a light, springy salad, you're not going to want tater tots alongside a Big Mac — you're craving thin-cut, am I right? We're conditioned to crave specific fries for certain situations.
The reactions on Twitter were pretty hilarious, though:
And we totally agree with the unfair advantage of cheese on any fry.
Personally, we feel bad for smiley fries, which came in last. I mean, have you had smiley fries since you were 7 years old? How do you remember what they're like? We do recall them having that pleasantly fluffy potato interior and crispy outer layer...come to think of it, we could kind of go for some. Thanks, list, for reminding us that these exist!
Here are all 18 at a quick glance:
1. Waffle fries
2. Belgian fries
3. Tater tots
4. Standard cut
5. Garlic fries
6. Curly fries
7. Shoestring/matchstick
8. Crinkle-cut
9. Cheese fries
10. Steak
11. Chips (British)
12. Sweet potato fries
13. Potato wedges
14. Chili cheese fries
15. Cottage fries
16. Pommes soufflés
17. Potato tornado
18. Smiley