Crispy, salty, and utterly addictive, potato chips have become a staple in snack aisles and kitchen cupboards around the world. Whether you reach for a bag during movie night, pair them with your favorite sandwich, or enjoy them straight from the bag, potato chips have secured their place as one of the most beloved snacks of all time. But behind every chip lies a story, and this one might not be as clear as it seemed.
Potato chips were invented in Saratoga Springs
The most widely told story attributes the invention of potato chips to George "Crum" Speck, a chef of African-American and Native American heritage. In 1853, Crum was working as the head chef at Moon's Lake House, a fashionable restaurant frequented by wealthy patrons in Saratoga Springs, NY. The restaurant was known for serving thick-cut French fries, a popular dish at the time.
According to legend, on a fateful day in the summer of 1853 (August 24, to be exact), a particularly picky customer—often rumored to be the influential businessman Cornelius Vanderbilt—repeatedly sent back his French fries, complaining that they were too thick and not crispy enough. Frustrated by the customer's demands, Crum decided to teach him a lesson by slicing the potatoes as thin as possible, frying them to a crisp, and heavily salting them. To Crum's surprise, the customer loved the result, and the paper-thin, crispy potatoes quickly became a sensation at the restaurant.
These newly invented "Saratoga Chips" soon gained popularity, and Crum continued to serve them to his guests, not realizing that he had just created a snack that would become a global phenomenon.
New York State historic marker: Crum's Place / Credits: Wikimedia Commons
But is this story true?
While this story was widely propagated (mostly by the associations like Potato Chip/Snack Food Association and companies like St. Regis Paper Company) and most people believe it's true, it might not be, as there are many factual inaccuracies.
For example, Cornelius Vanderbilt, often named as the difficult customer, was actually in Europe that summer, and the Moons, credited with owning the Lake House during the chip's creation, didn't acquire it until 1854. Moreover, crispy fried potatoes were already popular in Saratoga by 1849, as reported by the New York Herald, which praised "Eliza, the cook" for her potato frying skills.
Furthermore, the first mention of Crum’s role appeared in 1885, more than 30 years after his supposed invention, and Vanderbilt wasn't in the picture until 1973, when St. Regis Paper Company (they produced potato chip packaging) credited him as one of the "inventors" in their ad depicting an image of Crum with a headline saying: "This man cooked for Commodore Vanderbilt and Jay Gould and created a billion dollar business to boot."
In recent years, various food historians conducted their own investigations on the history of potato chips, and although almost everybody agrees that this delicious snack was very popular in Saratoga Springs around that time, there just isn't any real proof that Vanderbilt instigated it's creation, Crum invented it, or Moon’s Lake House served it first.
Credits: shutterstock
Alternate theories that might be more true
The closest thing to the truth is that the concept of frying thin slices of potatoes dates back to early 19th-century Europe. The first known mention of such a recipe appears in William Kitchiner’s 1817 cookbook, "The Cook's Oracle", where he describes a method for frying "potatoes in slices or shavings" until crisp, which is clearly a precursor to what would later become potato chips. These early recipes were simple: thin potato slices fried in fat and lightly salted.
Similar method was further published in a 1825 British cookbook about French cuisine, which calls them pommes de terre frites, and in the USA, Mary Randolph's Virginia "Virginia House-Wife" (1824) and N.K.M. Lee's "Cook's Own Book" (1832) both mention this dish, attributing the recipe to Kitchiner.
In conclusion, it is not clear who truly invented the potato chips, although historical facts point away from the legend of George "Crum" Speck. Either way, over the years, potato chips have become more than just a snack—they are a cultural icon, representing the evolution of food production, the rise of convenience foods, and the universal love for something crispy, salty, and delicious. As the world changes, one thing remains certain: potato chips will continue to be a beloved snack, enjoyed by generations to come.
Credits: shutterstock
