Whether you’re diving into a Big Mac, crunching on McNuggets, or questioning life choices with a Filet-O-Fish, there’s one universal truth: you’re getting fries with that. But what makes McDonald’s fries the crispy golden unicorns of fast food?

It all started in 1949 with a pair of brothers, a pile of potatoes, and the San Bernardino desert air. Seriously, their fries got their extra crispiness by just hanging out in the California heat. But the real secret weapon? Beef tallow. That’s right, those fries were basically soaked in meat magic until health advocates came for McDonald’s like it was the final boss battle of cholesterol.

After some oil drama and flavor tweaks, the fries are still iconic. Sure, they’ve added a science fair’s worth of ingredients and a pinch of guilt (not vegan, not vegeterian, not gluten-free), but no other fry comes close. Even Julia Child said, “Ooh la la!” about them—or at least, we’re pretty sure she did.

So, are McDonald’s fries the reigning potato royalty of your heart? Or does another fry make you swoon? Drop your thoughts in the comments, and remember: the fry war is real.

(Also, shoutout to Burger King for trying in the 90s. Nice try, champs.)