Well, that New Year's resolution about eating fewer fatty foods lasted a grand total of six days, until I decided I needed to taste-test these new french fries that Burger King is touting.
With its fancy new fries, Burger King is going head to head (Potato Head to Potato Head?) with McDonald's. Burger King spent a couple of years developing these new "pommes frites," although what could possibly take a couple of years, I couldn't tell you. You slice a potato, dip it in oil. There are only so many variations on this theme.
Just like a wine tasting, my fry tasting was conducted under strictly controlled conditions (i.e., in the front seat of my car while I was driving around at lunchtime). Before tasting, I sniffed the delicate aroma of each fry. I swirled them around in my mouth before swallowing (this accomplished little, except that I burned my tongue on a superhot fry). I did not spit out any of the fries, although given my cholesterol level, I probably should have.Here's how they stacked up:
McDonald's
Bouquet: Greasy with a slight overture of popcorn.
Color: A light gold with burnished orange tips.
Texture: Crisp verging on slightly limp.
Taste: Like a potato fried in oil.
Burger King
Bouquet: A dark, nutty aroma.
Color: A tawny gold with just a hint of orange.
Texture: Crisp, with no hint of limpness.
Taste: Like a potato fried in oil.
I have to give the edge to McDonald's, even though I really couldn't tell that much difference between the two, and I didn't really like either one, anyway. Let's face it, McDonald's fries haven't been the same since they stopped frying them in pure animal fat.
Personally, I prefer Wendy's fries, because you can dip them in your chocolate Frosty.
Burger King, to its credit, does have the better spokesperson in Mr. Potato Head, although I'm surprised nobody has enlisted Carl from "Sling Blade" in this battle, given his yen for french-fried pataters.