Potato Chips Galore

We all love the salty crunch of potato chips, but do you know much about chips besides brand names and you favorite flavor? Here is the history behind those delectable salty snacks.

            It started in a restaurant in Saratoga, New York in 1852. Back then, EVERYTHING was eaten with a fork, even pares and apples. So when a man sent back some slices of cooked potatoes, saying they were to thick, the chef named George Crum was infuriated. He agreed to do what the customer said, except with a little bit extra. Mr. Crum sliced the potatoes so thin, that you couldn’t skewer them with a fork without breaking them. Mr. Crum thought that he had played a pretty good trick on the customer. But the plan backfired, instead of being disgusted by the chip, the customer enjoyed them. Soon, everyone in the restaurant wanted a now called “Saratoga Chip”. Unfortunately for Mr. Crum, he forgot to trademark the product, and all the other restaurants stole his idea. The potato chip is still un-trademarked.

            Even though chips made restaurants a fortune, they did not sell well in stores. People liked candy like chocolate better, but the potato chip’s time came. In World War II, chocolate was rationed, and there was hardly any in America, that is when people turned to chips. Since then, potato chips have been a classic snack in the U.S.

            Today, one brand rules the world of chips, that name is frito-Lay. They have almost all of the brand names you can think of, Lays, Fritos, Tostitos, Cheetos, Sun Chips, the list goes on and on, but just because it is the biggest brand, doesn’t mean it’s the best. I have found a new brand called Billy Goat Chips.  They are made exclusively in Saint Louis, and are in my opinion, the best chips in the world. You can buy them at Schnucks, a Saint Louis Grocery store, and order them at the Schlafly bottleworks, restaurant.

            As you can see, there is more to the potato chip than what meets the eye.