The Seasoning That Sets Wendy's French Fries Apart From The Crowd

From saucy chicken nuggets to burgers, salads, and heaping cups of chili, Wendy's has a classic American menu that's rounded out by the sippable ice cream Frosty and, of course, french fries. Although you can find many of these products at other fast food giants like McDonalds, Burger King, and Jack in the Box, Wendy's french fries are a bit different than their competitors. Unlike many other fast food juggernauts, Wendy's uses sea salt rather than table salt to season their fries.

Table salt is sourced from large salt deposits before being processed into a fine consistency. Although table salt reduces clumping in recipes, making it a practical option in certain circumstances, it loses many of its naturally occurring minerals during processing. Because sea salt is derived from ocean water or other natural saltwater sources, and undergoes little to no processing, it maintains the minerals not found in table salt, giving it a more present flavor. Sea salt boasts larger crystals than table salt that sticks to french fries for an exterior crunch that gives way to a soft and fluffy interior. While table salt still works great as a simple french fry seasoning, Wendy's sea-salted fries set them apart from the crowd. Next time you're assembling your definitive ranking of the best (and worst) fast food french fries, include salt in your criteria — it makes more of a difference than you might think.

In addition to sea salt, Wendy's also coats their fries in a small amount of potato starch. Starch contains amylose, a chemical compound that forms a rigid structure when heated, making each bite ultra-crunchy and crispy. We know what you're thinking, and we'd have to agree, so go ahead — add potato starch to your crispy homemade french fry recipe!

The shape of Wendy's french fries also plays a significant role in their texture quality and heat retention. They are cut to balance thickness and surface area, which helps maintain crispiness while keeping the interior soft and cloudy. The skin is also left on the potatoes to enhance flavor.

Although some fast food restaurants like Chick-fil-A also use sea salt to season their fries, John Li, vice president of culinary innovation at Wendy's says the chain tested nearly 20 cuts and shapes and settled on a design and flavor that optimizes the fry-eating experience. Of course, the only way to know for sure is to try them for yourself and compare them to other popular french fry-serving fast food joints. So, whether you eat them plain, dunk them in a chocolate Frosty, or use them to upgrade Wendy's chili by assembling a DIY platter of chili cheese fries, know that sea salt, potato starch, and shape are what makes the fast food franchise's fries subtly unique.