American Potato chips

American Potato chips

 We owe America’s favorite snack to a particularly finicky resort guest.

Saratoga Springs, New York, 1853: In the kitchen of the upscale Moon Lake Lodge, Native American chef George Crum faces a frustrated diner who keeps sending back his French fries for being too thick. Determined to make a point, Crum shaves the potatoes razor-thin and fries them to a crisp—too delicate to be eaten with a fork. To his surprise, the crunchy creation is an instant hit.

Years later, traveling salesman Herman Lay began selling these fried potato slices from the trunk of his car, eventually founding Lay’s Potato Chips, the first nationally marketed chip brand. In 1961, Lay’s merged with Frito, forming the snack giant Frito-Lay.