Potato chips owe their creation to an annoyed, demanding customer at Saratoga Springs, New York resort. This culinary milestone occurred on August 24, 1853, at Moon’s Lake House, a well-known restaurant that attracted people from various walks of life.
The Incident
George Crum was the chef at Moon’s Lake House. One day, Cornelius Vanderbilt, a prestigious and influential guest, stopped by and ordered fried potatoes as a side dish. After tasting the potatoes, Vanderbilt complained that they were too thick and harshly sent them back to the kitchen.
The Response
In response to this complaint from one of his most esteemed customers, George Crum decided to slice some fresh potatoes thinner than ever before while simultaneously keeping them in larger chunks rather than small bits. Despite Crum’s intentions for this new version to mock the guest’s nitpicking attitude, Vanderbilt was delighted with these new, thin, crispy fries.
The Birth of Potato Chips
Vanderbilt’s unexpected delight with these thin, crispy fries led Crum to permanently add them to his menu. Over time, word spread about how tasty these thinly sliced potatoes were. They became so popular among customers that people began coming from all over town just for these “chips,” as Crum had started referring to them.
Rise in Popularity
With this surge in popularity, demand soared. Potato chips eventually became crowned as America’s number-one snack food. This odd occurrence transformed into a commonly consumed food item nowadays.
Legacy
Given its initial reception by Cornelius Vanderbilt, it isn’t entirely unbelievable that potato chips transitioned into becoming so widely celebrated. However, what is undoubtedly unusual is how such an iconic snack food was born purely out of sheer annoyance and with no intention whatsoever behind it. Indeed, it’s an accidental invention that has impacted the world’s snacking habits.
The potato chips story is a fascinating example of how sometimes the best innovations come from unexpected places and circumstances.