# Vinegar on french fries: Delicious or Disgusting? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 11, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinegar-on-french-fries-delicious-or-disgusting/528573 "2010-02-11T18:53:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinegar-on-french-fries-delicious-or-disgusting/528573/1 "2010-02-11T18:53:22Z")
My stepfather is extremely grossed out by the fact that I put vinegar on my fries. He says it’s unnatural and horrid. He won’t stay in the same room with me when I do it and even insisted (one time) at me sitting at a different table at a restaurant we were at simply because he didn’t want anyone sitting at his table eating “that putrid combination”. What say you? Is vinegar on french fries something you find gross, delicious… or maybe somewhere in the middle where you find it odd but wouldn’t knock it until you try it? ---
**Author:** ![apollonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@apollonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/apollonia)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinegar-on-french-fries-delicious-or-disgusting/528573/2 "2010-02-11T18:55:56Z")
Vinegar on fries is the way God intended them to be eaten. Fries, vinegar, salt, done. Yum yum. ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinegar-on-french-fries-delicious-or-disgusting/528573/3 "2010-02-11T18:55:56Z")
I love it **but** do have one problem – the sog factor. The fries have to be really hot and really crisp, and the vinegar quantity fairly minimal – I do not want potato mush (some people don’t mind). Dirty secret: that’s one reason I kind of secretly prefer the potato chip version of salt and vinegar. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinegar-on-french-fries-delicious-or-disgusting/528573/4 "2010-02-11T18:56:46Z")
Malt vinegar - yummy! I wouldn’t do it with another kind, the flavor isn’t quite right. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinegar-on-french-fries-delicious-or-disgusting/528573/5 "2010-02-11T18:57:49Z")
MALT vinegar - if I’m eating fish and chips. But regular vinegar? Bleahh. ETA - beaten to it by **Ferret Herder**! ---
**Author:** ![SylverOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SylverOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SylverOne)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinegar-on-french-fries-delicious-or-disgusting/528573/6 "2010-02-11T18:59:49Z")
Mmmm… Malt vinegar on fries, mashed potatos, baked potatoes, scrambled eggs and a few drops on any sandwich made in my house. Look at it this way, if you’re banished to another table, you won’t have to share with anyone. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinegar-on-french-fries-delicious-or-disgusting/528573/7 "2010-02-11T19:01:12Z")
Malt vinegar on very very crispy piping hot fries. With a pint of good lager. Heaven. Your stepfather is weird. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinegar-on-french-fries-delicious-or-disgusting/528573/8 "2010-02-11T19:01:47Z")
Vinegar FTW. Fish and Chips drowning in vinegar yay. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinegar-on-french-fries-delicious-or-disgusting/528573/9 "2010-02-11T19:05:59Z")
Malt vinegar, and lots of it. And salt, lots of it. I really do need to make fish’n’chips soon. Also good with fries: Mayo, Thousand Island dressing, catsup, chili and cheese and onions, or just plain with salt. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinegar-on-french-fries-delicious-or-disgusting/528573/10 "2010-02-11T19:06:47Z")
It is how they do it in Canada. Is that an endorsement? They eat weird in Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinegar-on-french-fries-delicious-or-disgusting/528573/11 "2010-02-11T19:07:35Z")
Delicious. I agree that many foods are improved by adding a few drops of vinegar. I ogle the malt vinegar every time I’m at the grocery store, but haven’t been able to justify buying it because we rarely eat fried food. But scrambled eggs, you say. Sandwiches! ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinegar-on-french-fries-delicious-or-disgusting/528573/12 "2010-02-11T19:09:52Z")
Actually, I use any kind of vinegar. Most regularly just regular vinegar or red cider vinegar. Very rarely do I use malt vinegar because I never have any in the house. I wonder if this is a factor that wages in on him finding it gross? ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Alan\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Bird)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinegar-on-french-fries-delicious-or-disgusting/528573/13 "2010-02-11T19:15:45Z")
Regular vinegar and salt. Maybe some tartar sauce for dipping. Malt vinegar has too strong a taste for me. ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinegar-on-french-fries-delicious-or-disgusting/528573/14 "2010-02-11T19:16:24Z")
I’ve recently discovered (ok, gave in and tried) malt vinegar on fries. Now, fries must have vinegar. If you think about it, it’s not so wierd, katsup is nothing more than tomato, _vinegar_, salt, and sugar. ---
**Author:** ![RainGrowsBrite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@RainGrowsBrite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RainGrowsBrite)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinegar-on-french-fries-delicious-or-disgusting/528573/15 "2010-02-11T19:18:39Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > Actually, I use any kind of vinegar. Most regularly just regular vinegar or red cider vinegar. Very rarely do I use malt vinegar because I never have any in the house. I wonder if this is a factor that wages in on him finding it gross? I’m thinking so… Oil and Malt Vinager is so often used in restaurants for bread dipping that i would think it wouldnt be a huge stretch to add it to another starchy food. But other regular vinager seems weird to me too. When I was in Scotland, everytime we ordered Fish and Chips it was served with malt vin. And it is a delicious combo! ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinegar-on-french-fries-delicious-or-disgusting/528573/16 "2010-02-11T19:26:36Z")
Another vote for loving it, though I generally have to apply so much that things get soggy. It seems like vinegar on hot, fresh fries disappears far too quickly–not sure whether it’s evaporating, getting lost in the starchiness, or what exactly. So I add more and more, and eventually wind up with soggy, delicious fries. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinegar-on-french-fries-delicious-or-disgusting/528573/17 "2010-02-11T19:35:02Z")
Yeah, that’s my only problem with vinegar on fries (malt or regular) - where did it go? I also don’t like the way it cools off my fries too fast. The flavour, though - mm mm good! ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinegar-on-french-fries-delicious-or-disgusting/528573/18 "2010-02-11T19:35:54Z")
> [@RainGrowsBrite](#): > > Oil and Malt Vinager is so often used in restaurants for bread dipping Really? Not that I’ve ever seen. Whereabouts? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinegar-on-french-fries-delicious-or-disgusting/528573/19 "2010-02-11T19:36:16Z")
I only occasionally do it, but vinegar is good on fries. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinegar-on-french-fries-delicious-or-disgusting/528573/20 "2010-02-11T19:36:42Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > My stepfather is extremely grossed out by the fact that I put vinegar on my fries. He says it’s unnatural and horrid. He won’t stay in the same room with me when I do it and even insisted (one time) at me sitting at a different table at a restaurant we were at simply because he didn’t want anyone sitting at his table eating “that putrid combination”. > What say you? Is vinegar on french fries something you find gross, delicious… or maybe somewhere in the middle where you find it odd but wouldn’t knock it until you try it? I grew up with white vinegar on french fries and now also enjoy malt vinegar. It’s the best. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinegar-on-french-fries-delicious-or-disgusting/528573.md?page=2)