Surprising Birth of Potato Chips: Scooping the Truth About Universal Vegetable Potato

Potatoes are a popular snack, along with sweet potatoes. Not only that, they are a seasonal food from June to October, used in various dishes. Boiled potatoes, baked potatoes, spiral potatoes, potato pizza, and more transform into multiple dishes as a versatile vegetable, potato. Many stories are embedded in the birth of these diverse dishes and snacks, but what kind of history and stories do they contain? We introduce exciting stories and helpful information about the transformation of various potato snacks and dishes.

Potatoes, once despised by Europeans

In Europe, potatoes were a despised plant. The first reason for this was that potatoes contain a toxin called ‘solanine’ in their green parts, such as sprouts and leaves, and Europeans, unaware of this fact, suffered from eating them. The second reason is that potatoes grow in the ground, and people regarded the peculiar ecology of potatoes as a devil’s trick. Lastly, potatoes do not appear in the Bible. According to the Bible, plants proliferate through ‘seeds,’ but potatoes were perceived as impure plants because they reproduce only through tubers. Fortunately, prejudices and misunderstandings about potatoes gradually loosened, and Europeans accepted them.

Potato Chips, Born to Please a Customer

New York restaurant chef, ‘George Crum.’ A customer requested that the French fries be remade because they were too thick and soggy. In his anger, Crum sliced the potatoes ridiculously thin and sprinkled them with so much salt that they would be inedible, but surprisingly, the customer found them very delicious. This dish became famous, and by the 1920s, potato chips, which were only eaten in the northeastern United States, began to spread nationwide. Potato chips had to be thinly sliced, so only skilled chefs could make them, but with the advent of cutting tools, they became a food that anyone could make.

Pringles are Not Potato Chips

U.S. company P&G developed a curved chip made of dried potato dough and long can packaging in response to complaints that potato chips easily broke, successfully creating Pringles, which do not break even under shock. However, the claim that “since it’s not fried potatoes, it can’t be considered a chip” led to a ruling that allowed using the word ‘chip’ in the phrase ‘chip made from dried potato dough’. In the U.K., there is a special sales tax on sugar and potato chips, and P&G claimed that “it is made from potato flour and wheat flour, so it does not belong to the snack category.” The court recognized that the proportion of potatoes in Pringles is only 42%, allowing P&G to save on taxes.

Belgium is the Origin of French Fries

French fries, also known as ‘fries,’ are often considered a French dish. However, the argument that it is a Belgian dish is more persuasive. In Belgium, where wheat was not grown, they used to catch fish and fry them, but due to abnormal weather, they could no longer catch fish and started frying potatoes cut into the shape of fish. At that time, potatoes were not treated as human food in France, and British and American troops stationed in Wallonia, Belgium, first encountered French fries. Wallonians spoke French, so they were mistaken for French cuisine. However, the French embassy declared that French fries are a Belgian dish, proving it to be a Belgian dish.

Potatoes, Known as the Apple of the Earth

Potatoes are so rich in nutrients that they are called the apple of the earth. They contain six times more vitamin C than apples, so you can supplement your daily vitamin C intake by eating just two boiled potatoes daily. The dietary fiber contained in potatoes is abundant, which helps intestinal health and prevents constipation, aiding in excretion. However, even though potatoes are suitable for the body, potato sprouts contain a toxic substance called solanine, which can cause food poisoning, so you should be careful with sprouted potatoes.