This French Fry has a Delicate Bouquet…

What is it about the smell of french fries that we find so irresistible? According to a new study commissioned by England’s Potato Council for National Chip Week, the attraction lies in a surprisingly complex combination of aromas produced by the popular potato side dish, including onion, cocoa, flowers, butterscotch, and ironing boards.

Ironing boards?

Ironing boards. “Whether oven-cooked or fried, the humble chip doesn’t smell of just chips,” explains Leeds University’s Dr. Graham Clayton, lead researcher for the study. “The aroma is much more complex and probably explains why chips are everyone’s favourite. We found lightly cooked or undercooked chips contained three simple aromas like bitter cocoa. Extra cooking produced up to nine different aromas.”

The importance of recognizing the ironing board quotient of the aroma wafting from British chip shops isn’t altogether clear, but Dr. Clayton offers a possible outcome. “Perhaps these findings will see chips treated like wine in the future, with fans turning into buffs as they impress friends with descriptions of their favorite fries.”