The Birth of the Potato Chip

Up State New York is the original home of the potato chip. In 1853, railroad and steamship magnate Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt complained that his potatoes were cut too thick and sent them back to the kitchen at a fashionable resort in Saratoga Springs, New York.

To spite his haughty guest, Head Chef George Crum sliced some potatoes paper-thin, fried them in hot oil, salted and served them. To everyone’s surprise, Vanderbilt loved his “Saratoga Crunch Chips.” Potato chips have been popular ever since, and sure are good home-made, eaten off a brown paper bag where they’ve been placed to cool.