# Sweet potato fries
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [May 12, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157 "2013-05-12T16:09:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/1 "2013-05-12T16:09:42Z")
A few years ago, I noticed sweet potato fries appearing on menus. They seem to have become quite trendy, and have supplanted aioli fries. I’m often disappointed by French fries\*, and would rather have a salad. But I like sweet potatoes, so why not give them a try? I’ve had them at a few places since I noticed them, and I’m just not impressed. They’re OK; but if I’m having fries, I prefer the regular ones. To my palate, sweet potatoes should not be coated and fried – unless it’s a white sweet potato in tempura batter. Those are good. When I eat tempura, I save the white sweet potato for second-to-last (before the prawns). Actually, I don’t like fries that have a coating on them. So sweet potato fries: Like them? Dislike them? Just OK?
As an aside, there was a place near the office that made avocado fries; avocados, cut into strips, coated, and fried like French fries. I like avocados, but these were dull.
- ‘I am often disappointed by French fries.’ Sounds like a true-or-false statement on a psych test; like, ‘When I go outdoors, I’m likely to be bitten by a horse.’
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### Author:  [@Rubixcube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubixcube)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2013, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/2 "2013-05-12T18:32:14Z")
Coated? I’ve had sweet potato fries at many places and never once seen them with a coating. Personally I love sweet potato fries. Unless french fries are really good they just taste of oil and salt, while even the worst sweet potato fries I’ve ever had still had a pleasant flavor to them. I also think that the slight sweetness of them contrasts well with most things that fries are served with. Of course I’m someone who would take a sweet potato over a regular one at almost every opportunity.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2013, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/3 "2013-05-12T18:33:23Z")
Sweet potato fries blow. There is never any reason for those to be on the menu. Ever.
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### Author:  [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2013, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/4 "2013-05-12T18:38:16Z")
I’ve had sweet potato American fries with breakfast before. They weren’t all sweet potatoes, they were about 2/3 white potato, 1/3 sweet potato. They were pretty good, but I think if they were all sweet potato, it’d be overly sweet.
Probably the best “fries” kind of thing I’ve had was at a French bistro kind of place. They had anchovies in a light breading, deep fried. They looked sort of like fries, but obviously not when you bit into them. They were WAY better than they sound. Really, really good.
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### Author:  [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2013, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/5 "2013-05-12T18:41:17Z")
Well, we can’t all survive on Wonder Bread and bologna.
/d, r
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2013, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/6 "2013-05-12T18:52:19Z")
We make them on occasion. Toss in a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, then pop them under the broiler for a bit until they develop a crispy exterior. Turn them, do the same. I wouldn’t care for them deep-fried, though.
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### Author:  [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2013, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/7 "2013-05-12T19:19:32Z")
> [@silenus](#):
>
> Sweet potato fries blow. There is never any reason for those to be on the menu. Ever.
What I heard: Sweet potato fries blow regular fries into oblivion. There is never any reason for those not to be on the top of the menu.
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### Author:  [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2013, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/8 "2013-05-12T19:28:13Z")
I had them once a few years ago (before they were cool) at a Louisiana-style fish & chips restaurant, because it had snowed that day and the restaurant had run out of regular fries.
They were OK, but I wouldn’t order them in favor of regular fries.
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### Author:  [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2013, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/9 "2013-05-12T19:29:02Z")
I hate sweet potatoes with a passion. Since this isn’t the Pit, I won’t say how I really feel about them. Despite this, I gave sweet potato fries a try. Didn’t like them. I’ll stick with regular potato fries. Can’t say I didn’t give them a try
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2013, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/10 "2013-05-12T20:45:00Z")
Don’t get the hate. A baked yam with butter, s&p, is excellent.
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### Author:  [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2013, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/11 "2013-05-12T20:46:53Z")
The sweet potato fries I’ve had have been about as good as slightly sub-par regular-potato fries (read: still fairly yummy). I don’t like how eateries seem to act as though they’re supposed to be better than regular-potato fries; it sets a higher bar than they can meet.
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### Author:  [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2013, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/12 "2013-05-12T21:31:27Z")
If I want fries I want regular potato fries with salt and ketchup. If I want sweet potatoes I’ll bake them then cover them with butter and brown sugar.
I think some of the trendiness is that sweet potato fries are gluten-free, and lots of people are going gluten-free whether they need to or not.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2013, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/13 "2013-05-12T21:40:13Z")
> [@Dr.Girlfriend](#):
>
> If I want sweet potatoes I’ll bake them then cover them with butter and brown sugar.
Hold the brown sugar, please! (And I prefer roasted white sweet potatoes. 😉 )
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2013, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/14 "2013-05-12T21:44:36Z")
About I can say in favor of sweet potato fries is that they’re better than sweet potato tater tots. White potato fries are better, though.
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### Author:  [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2013, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/15 "2013-05-12T21:47:07Z")
> [@steronz](#):
>
> Well, we can’t all survive on Wonder Bread and bologna.
>
> /d, r
Unfortunately the weak must die 🙂
I gotta agree with the OP in the sense that SPFs don’t work. I am a die hard southerner and sweet potatoes and frying shit is right up my alley.
But it just doesn’t work IMO. It ain’t terrible but it ain’t all that that either.
Which is a shame because it does SOUND good as all get out.
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### Author:  [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2013, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/16 "2013-05-12T22:05:11Z")
I’ve had and enjoyed sweet potato fries a number of times, and they’ve never been coated in any kind of batter. They were apparently just cut up and fried, like regular french fries.
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### Author:  [@Uther\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uther_Penguin)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2013, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/17 "2013-05-12T22:35:19Z")
> [@Smapti](#):
>
> I had them once a few years ago (before they were cool)
Did you burn your mouth? 😛
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### Author:  [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2013, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/18 "2013-05-12T22:46:45Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> Don’t get the hate. A baked yam with butter, s&p, is excellent.
It’s because baking brings out what’s good about yams and sweet potatoes, the creamy texture. Deep frying them tries to force them crisp up which is something they are not well suited for.
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### Author:  [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2013, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/19 "2013-05-12T23:25:12Z")
One of my favorite snacks in the world are thick sweet potato fries served with salt and habanero-based hot sauce. It’s a pretty common street food in a few parts of the world, and for me it’s a wondrously nostalgic combo.
I find your standard thin cut sweet potato fries with ketchup to be a bit less enchanting, but sometimes they make for a nice change.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2013, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-potato-fries/658157/20 "2013-05-12T23:28:15Z")
Hm. Thick-cut ones would undoubtedly be better, I think.
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