McDonald's Best-Selling Item Is, Surprisingly, Not The Big Mac

For a company whose very foundation lies in its hamburgers, it would be easy to assume that McDonald's most famous creation among its list of classic and best burgers, the Big Mac, holds the throne for the best-selling item. The iconic sandwich, which you can attempt to make at home, has been a global superstar for decades and is almost synonymous with the fast-food giant. While still one of the best-sellers, the Big Mac hasn't been able to claim the top spot for McDonald's best-selling item ever. Any guesses for which item it is? The prestigious crown is worn instead by the slender and humble French fries. You heard it right. First added to the menu in 1949 after replacing potato chips, McDonald's sells over 9 million pounds of these crispy delights every single day!

The fast-food juggernaut had so much belief in the power of its best-selling item, revered by spud lovers across the world, that this year, it created scented billboards — the first of their kind — in the Netherlands, without a print or a logo, but just the smell of its famous fries to lure customers. There are millions of videos on social media, where popular fast food channels like @healthyjunkfood claim to have found the recipe for McDonald's legendary fries. That's a remarkable level of hype for what is technically a side dish. Though, in truth, McDonald's fries are much more than that. It's an experience.

The legendary golden yellow sticks that look the same across the world are fried in the perfect oil of chemistry, psychology, and cultural resonance to turn them into a global success. Their straight-cut shape results from sharp knife cuts of carefully selected potatoes at the speed of 70 miles per hour. But what makes them so addictive is their ability to crack the "bliss point." The bliss point is the exact amount of an ingredient — like salt, sugar, or fat — that makes food taste just right. McDonald's uses around 20 ingredients in its fries to create this umami flavor that keeps people coming back for more.

Another crucial element that gives its edge is smell. Our sense of smell accounts for about 80 to 90 percent of what we perceive as taste. In the early days, McDonald's used beef tallow instead of canola oil, which is used to fry potatoes today, for its fries. This practice continued until the '90s when concerns over saturated fat forced McDonald's to switch to vegetable oil. The immediate feedback was that the fries simply didn't taste the same, and customers felt something was missing.

To recreate the essence of their original recipe, McDonald's began incorporating "natural beef flavor," crafted from hydrolyzed wheat and milk proteins. The blend delivers meaty-tasting amino acids and a savory smell reminiscent of potatoes fried in beef fat, heightening cravings and making the fries taste even more delicious.