World Potato Chip Day Celebrated on March 14
While potatoes have been around for the longest time, the potato chip began its origins with George Crum, who initially worked as a chef at Saratoga Springs’ Moon Lake Lodge in 1853, where French-fried potatoes were a favorite on their menu.
According to daysoftheyear.com, frying potatoes originally came about during the 1700s, when Thomas Jefferson enjoyed them in France and introduced them to the local folk in Saratoga. When customers started complaining that the fries were too thick, Crum sarcastically decided to cut the potatoes as thin as he could, fried them and sent them back to the customers.
To his surprise, they loved them and asked for more. From there, the potato chip was born. Crum opened his own restaurant and many famous people such as William Vanderbilt, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and Jay Gould visited it, enjoying a basket of chips at every table.
Although Crum didn’t patent his invention, it came to pass as one of the most innovative snacks to move the food industry. Later on, many began their own food production, including the Hanover Home Potato Chip company established in 1921.
A few years later, Laura Scudder came up with the concept of putting the chips in wax paper bags instead of putting them in glass containers or barrels.
Soon after, Herman Lay founded Lay’s in Nashville and his potato chips became the first national brand to sell the product successfully on a wide scale. Potato Chip Day aims to celebrate the salty, crispy snack and its fascinating history.
