Curly fries
Spiral-cut french fries with 19th-century origins.
Curly fries—also called twisted fries or spiral fries—are a variety of french fry cut into a spiral. While many people credit the Arby’s chain with inventing them, the true story is more tangled. Evidence of curly fries goes back to the 1800s.
In New York, the fries are often coated in a seasoning mix that includes paprika, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. The exact moment of their invention is unknown, but by 1938, Oklahoma City’s Dolores Restaurant and Inn was serving them under the name “Suzi-Q potatoes.” In the 1980s, Washington-based TaterBoy introduced industrial “Curley Fries.” Simplot later became a major mass-producer, using the spice blend that became standard. Arby’s added curly fries to its menu in 1988, and it may have been the first to use a Cajun-style seasoning on them, calling them simply “Curly Fries.”
- first_mass_producer
- Simplot (alongside TaterBoy's earlier industrial debut)
- Arby's_introduction
- 1988 (as 'Curly Fries')
Lore & Background
Curly fries are french fries cut into a spiral shape. In New York, they are typically seasoned with a distinct spice mix composed primarily of paprika, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Though they are sometimes said to have been invented by the Arby's restaurant chain, their actual origins are more complex; their existence can be traced back to the 19th century. Oklahoma City's Dolores Restaurant and Inn served curly fries as 'Suzi-Q potatoes' in 1938. TaterBoy introduced industrial 'Curley Fries' in the 1980s, and Simplot became a leading mass-producer. Arby's introduced its 'Curly Fries' in 1988, possibly the first to use a Cajun-style seasoning.
Reader's Guide
Curly fries represent a notable variation of the standard french fry, distinguished by their spiral cut and often distinctive seasoning. Their history is more nuanced than popular attribution to Arby's suggests, with evidence of their existence in the 19th century and a documented serving in 1938 at a restaurant in Oklahoma City. Industrial production began in the 1980s with TaterBoy's 'Curley Fries', and Simplot became the first company to produce them in mass quantities, using a specific spice blend that became popular. Arby's introduced their version in 1988 and may have been the first to use Cajun-style seasoning. The shape can be produced at home with spiral vegetable slicers or spiral scissors, while industrial methods, such as those used by Conagra for Arby's, involve powerful machinery that propels potatoes through pipes at 60 miles per hour, slicing them into spirals over two and a half feet long when stretched. The fries are then blanched, dried, battered with seasoning, fried, frozen, and refried at the restaurant.
Did You Know?
- Curly fries are also called twisted fries or spiral fries.
- Their existence can be traced back to the 19th century.
- Oklahoma City's Dolores Restaurant and Inn served them as 'Suzi-Q potatoes' in 1938.
- Arby's introduced curly fries in 1988 as 'Curly Fries', and may have been the first to use Cajun-style seasoning.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly are curly fries?
Curly fries are a style of french fry where the potato is cut into a continuous spiral rather than a straight stick. They go by several names, including twisted fries and spiral fries, but the defining trait is that helical shape.
Did Arby's really invent curly fries?
No—while Arby's popularized them in 1988 by marketing the product under the name 'Curly Fries,' spiral-cut potatoes appear in records as far back as the 1800s. By 1938, the Dolores Restaurant and Inn in Oklahoma City was already serving them as 'Suzi-Q potatoes,' so the chain gets credit for branding, not invention.
Who first mass-produced curly fries commercially?
TaterBoy, a Washington-based company, was the first to introduce an industrial curly-fry product in the 1980s. Simplot later followed as the first major mass producer, scaling the shape for broad retail distribution.
How are New York curly fries different from the standard version?
In New York, the spirals are typically tossed in a dry seasoning blend featuring paprika, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. That coating gives them a spicier, more savory profile compared to the plain salted curly fries found at most fast-food chains.
Why are curly fries considered a notable part of American food history?
They demonstrate how a simple cut change can turn a commodity potato product into a recognizable brand identity, as seen with Arby's 1988 launch. Their story also highlights how regional innovations—from 19th-century kitchens to 1930s Oklahoma diners—can resurface decades later as national trends.
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