There’s a Scientific Reason You Love the Wendy’s Frosty and Fries Combo So Much

I played a LOT of sports when I was a kid—soccer, basketball, volleyball and softball—and it felt like there was never enough time between practices and games to stop at home for dinner. So, where did our family end up? Wendy’s, of course.

As a kid, did I order a healthy salad and side of apples? Yeah… I don’t think so. It was all about the Wendy’s Frosty and fries combo for me. Little did I know there was a scientific reason why I liked it so much.

This copycat Wendy’s Frosty recipe has the unique flavor and texture of a real Wendy’s Frosty.

Why a Frosty and Fries Tastes So Good

According to researchers, the combination of hot, crispy fries and a thick, cold and sweet Frosty is basically everything our taste buds have ever asked for. And all at once, too! There’s something to be said about how the flavors and temperatures affect our brain. It can send us into a tizzy of delicious confusion.

For this kind of duo to work, the fries have to be relatively hot, and the Frosty needs to keep its viscous texture. Use the fries as your spoon, and suddenly you’ve stumbled across the greatest partnership humankind has ever discovered.

Did you know the Wendy’s Frosty was one of the five items on the original menu?

It’s a Cultural Thing, Too

Not only is there a scientific reason we love this sweet and salty combo, but a cultural one as well.

You know when your friends start doing something, and they tell you to do it, too, and suddenly you’re wondering why you hadn’t been doing that one thing all your life? Dipping fries into ice cream is a social phenomenon that’s been going on so long, there isn’t even a way to trace it back to its origins. Most people assume the practice came around as soon as diners started serving fries and milkshakes on the same menu.

Now, if I could only get my hands on that new Strawberry Frosty…

For now, getting a free Wendy’s frosty every day will have to do.