Potato chips is one of the most popular snacks in the United States. But did you know that they were invented by accident? The story goes that one day a chef at a restaurant in Saratoga Springs, New York accidentally dropped some potatoes into cooking oil and then served them to his patrons. It wasn't long before he was inundated with orders for more chips and realized what he'd done. He began selling bags of potato chips to customers, who loved them so much they would even pay extra for them!

1. The history of potato chips
Introduction
Potato chips is one of the most popular snacks in the United States. But did you
know that they were invented by accident?
The story goes that one day a chef at a restaurant
in Saratoga Springs, New York accidentally
dropped some potatoes into cooking oil and then
served them to his patrons. It wasn't long before he
was inundated with orders for more chips and
realized what he'd done. He began selling bags of
potato chips to customers, who loved them so much they would even pay extra
for them!
It didn't take long for other restaurants around the country to catch on, and
soon enough everyone wanted their own version of potato chips. Soon there
were salty treats everywhere!
Nowadays, people don't just eat them as an afternoon snack anymore—they
turn them into all kinds of dishes! For example, poutine (French fries covered in
gravy and cheese curds), tater tots (small balls made out of mashed potatoes),
cheesy taters (mashed potatoes with cheese added), hash browns (crispy
potatoes that can be eaten at breakfast or dinner), and many more!
In the early 19th century, potatoes were mainly grown for animal feed and
industrial use.
In the early 19th century, potatoes were mainly grown for animal feed and
industrial use. The first potato chip was invented in
1853 by chef George Crum, who had a bad day
at work and took it out on a customer by slicing his
french fries extra thin.
The chips became popular in New England thanks
to the invention of canning technology and the
growing popularity of railroads. People could ship
canned goods much more easily than fresh
foodstuffs, so they could affordably distribute their products nationwide.

2. Another early reference to potato chips is from 1849 when cookbook author
Catherine Beecher wrote that she "cut up potatoes into slices and fried them."
Another early reference to potato chips is from 1849 when cookbook author
Catherine Beecher wrote that she "cut up potatoes into slices and fried them." In
an 1864 cookbook, Fannie Farmer wrote: "Potatoes, sliced thin and fried in deep
fat."
The first known recipe for potato chips was published in 1912 by Saratoga
Springs restaurant owner George Crum.
The story goes that Crum was serving a customer who complained that his fries
were too thick. Crum, who was known as “the best-fried potato maker in
America,” sliced some potatoes paper thin and deep-fried them in peanut oil.
The result: a crispier, crunchier fry that delighted the customer and was soon
copied by other local restaurants.
Potato chips were popularized in New England, probably because of a much
higher prevalence of the potato there than in the rest of the country.
If you're not from New England, you may be wondering why potato chips are so
popular in these parts. The answer is simple: potatoes were originally grown here,
and they've been a staple food for a long time. But why did people start making
them into chips?
There's no one true story on how this happened. Some say that around 1853, a
chef named George Crum served some fried potatoes at his restaurant in
Saratoga Springs (now Saratoga Springs, NY) that were so salty that they
became known as "Saratoga Chips." Others believe the first chip was invented
by Native Americans to make food more portable—after all, you can take a few
pieces of raw potato with you while hunting or traveling without needing
anything else besides salt!
But most historians agree that it wasn't until later on in history that someone
decided to fry up some sliced-up potatoes and sprinkle salt on top for flavor.

3. The first bag of potato chips was sold in 1895 by Laura Scudder. She started out
selling her chips door-to-door, then began distributing to stores in paper bags.
The first bag of potato chips was sold in 1895 by
Laura Scudder. She started out selling her chips
door-to-door and then began distributing them to
stores in paper bags.
It's unclear exactly when she switched over from
using paper bags to waxed ones, but the earliest
advertisement I found showed that the change had
been made by 1912.
It's difficult to pinpoint how potato chip bags became so popular because they
were invented multiple times. The most common version involves a postman
named Herman Lay in the mid-1930s.
The history of potato chips is a bit murky. It's difficult to pinpoint how potato chip
bags became so popular because they were invented multiple times. The most
common version involves a postman named Herman Lay in the mid-1930s.
Herman Lay started working for Frito-Lay after he patented his own chip sorting
machine in 1939 (he had earlier been working with his brother). He was
eventually bought by Frito-Lay in 1961, which was later sold to PepsiCo. His son,
Michael Lay, has also served on their board of directors since 1968 and still holds
that position today!
A man named William Tappendon patented a
machine that cut, cooked, and salted the chips
with cheese flavor added on top (pictured
below), but it wasn't until around 1950 that these
machines began appearing at gas stations
across America!
Lay's company was eventually bought by Frito-Lay in 1961.
Frito-Lay, Inc. is the world's second-largest food and beverage company after
PepsiCo, Inc., with headquarters in Plano, Texas. The company was formed by
the merger of Frito-Lay and PepsiCo in 1965 and has since expanded to include
other brands such as Ruffles potato chips and Tostitos tortilla chips; Cheetos
cheese-flavored snacks; Rold Gold pretzels; Aunt Jemima syrups; Quaker
oatmeal; Lay's potato chips (through its parent company); Doritos tortilla chips

4. (through its parent company); Tropicana juices (which it acquired from
Seagram's); Gatorade sports drinks (through its parent company) and many
other products. It operates around the globe under different brands for most of
its products except for Lay's brand where only two countries are exempt from
that policy: Canada where it sells all three varieties of Lay's at once: ketchup-
flavored Lays!, salt & vinegar flavored Lays! And sour cream & onion flavored
Lays!
In 1968 Frito-Lay was bought by PepsiCo for approximately $13 billion (in 2018
dollars).
PepsiCo is a multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation
headquartered in Purchase, New York. It
was founded by Caleb Bradham in 1898 as
Brad's Drink. He created the drink to relieve
the stomach pain which he suffered from
after drinking alcoholic beverages. The
company was named Pepsi-Cola Company
until 1961 when it adopted its current name
after merging with Frito-Lay Inc., which itself
came about through the acquisition of The
H.W. Lay Company in 1961 by PepsiCo’s predecessor Tricon Global Restaurants
(now known as Yum! Brands).
Potato chips have had a fascinating history as such a simple food.
Potato chips have had a fascinating history as such a simple food. They were
invented multiple times and were popularized in New England, but it wasn't until
the 20th century that they became a mainstream delicacy.
Potato chips were invented in 1853 by chef George Crum (of New York's Moon
Lake Lodge) who had become annoyed with some unruly customers who kept
sending back their fries for being too thick and tough. He decided to cut them
thinner than usual with his pocket knife! The result was much more satisfying to
the diner, but it also caused him headaches as he spent all day cutting
potatoes day after day.
Crum eventually devised a way to mass produce his chip creation by slicing
potatoes into wafers, frying them on wire mesh trays, and stacking them before
cooling them off (to keep their shape) and packaging them in waxed paper
bags which would seal themselves when closed properly—a clever trick he
patented in 1920s Massachusetts.

5. Conclusion
Potato chips are a delicious treat that has been enjoyed by people around the
world for centuries. They were first invented in the mid-19th century as a way to
preserve potatoes during storage, but soon became popular as a snack food.
Potato chips were popularized in New England because of their high
prevalence there—people would fry up slices of potato and eat them with
some salt. By 1895 Laura Scudder had started selling her chips door-to-door in
paper bags, which eventually became standard when other companies began
manufacturing their bags later on in history.