Crinkle-cutting is slicing that leaves a corrugated surface. It can be done to enhance the texture or mechanical properties of food. Crinkle-cutting French fries may improve their crispiness, as well as their ability to retain dipping sauce.[1]
Pommes gaufrettes, grid fries, waffle fries, crinkle-cut or criss-cross fries are fries obtained by quarter-turning the potato before each pass over the corrugated blade of a mandoline and deep-frying. This increases the surface area relative to the volume, exposing a larger area to the cooking process and allowing more water vapor to escape, resulting in a product that is crisper, and perhaps tastier as more of it is subject to the browning and flavor-producing effects of the Maillard reaction which takes place during cooking.[2] [3]