The origin of the all-famous potato chip is shrouded in mystery, a topic of heated debate to this day. While some insist that the potato chip was invented in the late 19th century in Saratoga Springs, New York, others credit the potato chip’s invention to English doctor William Kitchener and his 19th-century cookbook. The most popular story proceeds as follows: on some fateful day in 1853, industry baron Cornelius Vanderbilt was dining at the Moon’s Lake House in New York. Seemingly unsatisfied with the fried potatoes he had been served, he sent it back to the kitchen with the request to slice them thinner. Cook George Crum—also known as George Speck—facetiously sliced the potatoes as thin as possible, deep fried them, then served them to Vanderbilt. Unexpectedly, the baron savored the meal, and thus, the potato chip was born.
Another tale insists that Speck’s sister, Catherine Wicks, was responsible for its invention. According to her story, she accidentally dropped a potato shaving into the boiling oil, fished it out, and discovered her preference for this new version of potato snack.
Further, a completely different story credits the invention of the potato chip to English doctor William Kitchener in 1817. Kitchener had written a cookbook called The Cook’s Oracle, which boasted a recipe described as “potatoes fried in slices,” that shares remarkable similarities to the modern potato chip.
No matter the origin of this globally popular snack, what’s important is that they’re on the shelves, readily available to all.