system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why do McDonald's fries start to taste gross after a small period of time?
gpt
They are soaked in oil and covered in salt. Over time they cool and the salt pulls any remaining moisture out of them. The fries themselves are very thin, so this happens quickly. The end result being the potato portion of the fry is literally a shell of its former self, the oil and salt survive just fine. So you're left with something that's more a vehicle for getting cold oil and salt into your mouth, instead of steamy potato goodness.