A brief history of the crisp
Updated: 29 November 2007
The potato crisp was born in 1853 at the Moon Lake House Hotel, Saratoga Springs, New York State.
Today, crisps are one of the world’s favourite snacks, eaten by people of all ages and all classes. Here, we give a brief history of the crisp and an insight into how modern crisps are made!
A brief history of the crisp
The potato crisp was born in 1853 at the Moon Lake House Hotel, Saratoga Springs, New York State.
The story goes that one particularly dinner guest complained that his chips were not sliced thinly enough and repeatedly sent them back to the kitchen. After accepting the returned dish several times, the chef (a Red Indian chief by the name of George Crum) was determined to teach the awkward customer a lesson. He delicately cut potatoes into wafer-thin slices and then lightly tossed them in sizzling oil until crisp and golden. Crum’s joke backfired, however, as the resulting potato ‘crisps’ were a resounding success.
Crisps were not widely available in Britain until the early Twentieth Century, when a certain Mr. Carter – an Englishman who had tasted potato crisps in France – started production in London. The popularity of the newly created crisp spread rapidly throughout the twenties and thirties – especially around seaside resorts, where crisps became a firm favourite.
Today, crisps are one of the world’s favourite snacks, eaten by people of all ages and all classes.
