The Crispy Chippy History of the Potato Chip

By Shauna Hanus

Opening a bag of crispy salty potato chips is so much more than a tantalizing treat. Potato chips are steeped in a history that dates all the way back to 1853 when George Crum inadvertently invented the potato chip.

It seems that George was working as a chef in New England and had a customer that just could not be satisfied. This particular day the customer kept sending back the French fries that were typically eaten with a fork because they were too thick. After a few complaints George decided to put an end to this and made a French fry that was so thin and crispy there was no way it could be eaten with a fork. Well the plan back fired, his customer loved the chips that became known as Sarasota Chips and the rest is crispy history.

It took almost no time for potato chips to become popular and by 1895 they were being manufactured in Cleveland Ohio. Then in the 1920's three events took place that marked the beginning of the potato chip industry we know today. The first event was Herman Lay selling what is now known as Lay's Potato Chips out of the trunk of his car. The second and possibly the true catalyst, an automatic potato peeler and slicer was invented. This took the manual labor out of peeling and slicing potatoes. The third was in 1926 when Laura Scudder invented a waxed paper bag that kept the chips fresher and crisper longer allowing for more mass marketing.

Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet recipes. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She is also the publisher of a no cost bi-monthly gourmet newsletter. Her newsletter is always fun and informational packed with tips and trivia you can use everyday. Sign up for her newsletter and learn more about Gourmayeats Weekly Recipe Club at [http://www.gourmayeats.com]

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