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Comment by bkor | Hacker News Reader

> Two who received low ratings have vowed to sue the Algemeen Dagblad for defamation.

Interestingly, that same newspaper (AD) also runs another highly popular test about: oliebollen (fried snack mostly eaten on or just before New Year's eve). Being first (or even top 5) on that test means huge queues (loads of customers).

From what I read about that test it's a blind test. Meaning: the testers do not know where an "oliebol" is from. It's quite strange that there's such a big difference in the setup of these tests.

AD also has a test for fries. No clue how that test is setup (blind test or not). I tried a place they rated a 9 score and it was good, but was NOT worth a 9.

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One year, the fries from a place nearby were rated as one of the worst (second to last, if I recall correctly). I always thought they were fine.

We went to try the worst-tested place when we happened to be in the area, and _those_ were genuinely terrible.

I'm also skeptical about how constant the quality of the fries from one place will be. If, as I suspect, there is a large amount of variation over time, this test is useless and more like a lottery.

Not sure why you'd expect that much variation - a good fry shop can make consistent and distinctive frites day after day. I don't know what all goes in to making them like that, but I've experienced it first hand...

The frequency of cooking oil change has a large impact on the taste of the fried food. Some places will keep using the same oil for a few days, only filtering it each day. Fries from a day when the oil is changed could be great while 2 days later they will taste crap.

The quality at Westervoort's Cafetaria de Uithoek[0] was better consistiently back when they used to fry with lard. [0]http://www.cafetariadeuithoek.com/

If you want some real fries, come to Belgium cause we invented them. You can literally find one on almost every corner here.

I like Vlaamse frites (Flemish fries / Belgian fries) including the sour touch. You can get them in The Netherlands as well though amidst the countless of "normal" and French fries stores. They're also very easy to make yourself, even with an airfryer. I like them with green pepper sauce, also easy to make yourself. Dutch stores I can recommend Manneken Pis in Amsterdam center (therefore a bit more expensive) or Reitz in Maastricht at the Markt square.

Last week a woman who sold oliebollen and later discovered it was an undercover customer stepped up to the guy and demanded her goods back because everybody knows these tests are stupid and bring down a lot of hard working people in the name of selling newspapers.

So did the review say "they wouldn't let me try it, presumably because its terrible. 0/10"?

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