The people have spoken.  Beef tallow really is the way to a better French fry.

Putting palates on the line at the Orange County Fair in Costa Mesa, Calif. on Sunday, July 23, Coast Packing Company, the West’s leading supplier of animal fat shortenings, and Charles “Chicken Charlie” Boghosian – Southern California’s deep-fry king and inventor of the deep fried Oreo, among many other culinary innovations – hosted the Taste the Difference Challenge, a blind taste test for “French Fries Fried Right.”

More than 120 fairgoers enjoying a day of “Farm Fresh Fun” had an opportunity to literally taste the difference between Burbank russet potatoes cooked the old-fashioned way – in beef fat (technically, beef tallow) – versus vegetable oil, as Chicken Charlie fried up the two varieties for blind taste-testings on-stage in the Culinary Arts building.  Consumers cast ballots for the fries with the best flavor, texture and color, to determine what constitutes “French Fries Fried Right.”

“County fairs showcase fried food better than just about any place, and fairgoers are experienced evaluators of deep fried foods,” said Pamela Wnuck, Culinary Supervisor for the Orange County Fair. “We were delighted to host this delicious fry-off and provide a fun, hands-on opportunity for fairgoers to express their passion for all things fried.”

And thus, with fairgoers’ palates attuned to deep fried excellence, by a vote of 71 to 57, the classic flavor of beef tallow-fried spuds emerged as the popular favorite.

“At this challenge, taste buds had their say – and beef tallow carried the day,” said Ernest Miller, Coast Packing’s Corporate Chef and emcee for the taste-off.