The Things I've Learned...

Where did the potato chip come from?

This is an interesting story that I learned while watching the food network. I believe the first time I heard this was on the show UnWrapped (an excellent show by the way). Anyway, the history of the potato chip goes something like this.

The French had popularized the French Fried Potato (called French Fries today) in the 1700s. Thomas Jefferson once visited France as an ambassador and was served this dish. He loved it so much that he brought the recipe back to the US with him where it became an instant hit. Then, during the summer of 1853, an American Indian by the name of George Crum was working in the restaurant of Moon Lake Lodge in Saratoga Springs, New York. One of the guests had ordered the French Fried Potatoes but had found them too thick for his likely so he sent them back. Crum tried a second time but the customer sent them back a second time for the same reason. Angry and annoyed at the customer, Crum thought he would get even by slicing the potato extremely thin. It was his intention to get back and mock the customer. His plan back-fired of course and the customer absolutely loved them. Soon others had heard about this wonderful dish and many came to the restraunt just to try what was labeled Saratoga Chips on the menu. Crum later opened his own restaurant and began selling these chips there as well. Soon they were being packaged and sold throughout the New England area. In the 1920s then, the mechanical potato peeler was invented and this allowed chips to be mass-produced and shipped all over the country and soon the world.

Neat isn't it. You can read a more in depth report on this at http://www.kitchenproject.com/history/AmericanHeritageRecipes/PotatoChip.htm

Also, for some additional related reading and to learn of some other cool things you could check out the book, A Short History of Nearly Everything", by Bill Bryson