the potato chip

The History of the Potato Chip One of the most recognizable snack foods is the potato chip. Who can resist this thin slice of potato, fried into a crisp then salted? Potato chips are delicious and very popular. They satisfy the taste buds of many by hitting all the essential characteristics of a good treat. They are convenient, easily found, salty, greasy, and come in a wide variety of flavors. It is hard to believe their invention was a mistake. When George Crum, a Native American chef in Saratoga Springs, New York, upset a customer with French fries cut too thick, he came up with an idea to irk the patron. He produced a very paper thin french fry that was impossible to be picked up by a fork. To his dismay, the customer loved the result and soon other guests were requesting the chips. It was in 1853, and now over 150 years later, the snack originally known as the Saratoga Chips has become a household snack food staple. For most of the late 1800s, potato chips were cut by hand and sold primarily in restaurants. After the successful premier at the Saratoga Springs Resort, Chef Crum opened his own restaurant and began serving potato chips in small baskets at each table. Once the mechanical potato peeler was invented, production of potato chips not only became easier, but more popular. Small manufacturers from Ohio to California began producing potato chips between 1895 and 1920. Today, potato chips are available with seasonings ranging from barbeque to salt and vinegar. The process of making the potato chip that is well known and sold today is quite simple. Potatoes are harvested from potato farms, and then the potato is washed, peeled, sliced, dried, fried, and salted. The Frito- Lay Web site clearly describes the process.
All across America potatoes are specifically grown for Frito- Lay to make great tasting chips. Upon arrival at one of our