When you think about a great snack or “treat” that both kids and grown-ups adore, two distinct ideas likely come to mind. For those with a “sweet tooth,” it would have to be candy, particularly chocolate. For those who crave salt with every primitive desire in their body, it would be the almighty potato chip. Nothing beats biting into a crisp potato chip and feeling the rush of salt on your tongue, along with the “crackle” of thinly baked or fried potato slices as you crush them with your jaw. The Lays Potato Chip Company cleverly touted the phrase “I bet you can’t eat just one.” They certainly hit the nail on the head with this catchphrase, because as we all know, potato chips are one of the hardest snacks to put down once you start. Even just sitting here and writing about them makes me extremely hungry as I think about the different varieties of “chips” out there. From classic ruffled potato chips to ketchup chips, all-dressed chips with dip, Pringles from the can, and even “chips” that aren’t made from potatoes—like my personal favorites, Doritos, nachos, and Sun Chips—what a great-tasting snack these types of chips are! I know some might argue that they aren’t the healthiest option, but some chips are better than others. So let’s take a bite out of the chip world and explore when the first potato chips were created, how they are made, and whether or not they’re really that bad for you.
A potato chip, in its simplest form, is a thin slice of potato that is either deep-fried or baked until crisp. The first known potato chip seems to have made its way from the kitchen to the dining table on August 24, 1853, when chef George Crum, working near Saratoga Springs, New York, became frustrated with a customer who kept sending back his fried potatoes because they were too “thick” and “soggy.” In retaliation, Crum sliced the potato so thin that the food could not be eaten with a fork. The customer was so pleased with this new creation that Crum’s “potato chips” quickly became a regular item on the lodge’s menu. They were originally listed as “Saratoga Chips,” and their popularity spread throughout New England. By 1910, potato chips were no longer just a specialty of certain restaurant kitchens, as the first-ever potato chip production company was launched in the United States.
When chips were first produced on a large scale, they were not stored in the fancy plastic bags we use today. Instead, chips were initially stored in barrels or tins. Then, in the 1930s, Laura Scudder created the first sealed bag in the U.S. by ironing two pieces of wax paper together to create an airtight seal that would keep chips fresh until opened. This invention gave a significant boost to the chip industry. Another huge advancement came in the 1950s when Joe “Spud” Murphy and his Irish company TAYTO were the first to introduce seasoning into the potato chip world. His first two flavors, “Cheese and Onion” and “Salt ‘n’ Vinegar,” marked the beginning of a great development in chip history, with “Salt ‘n’ Vinegar” still being one of today’s most popular and classic chip flavors.
The Health Concerns of Potato Chips
The fact that worldwide sales of potato chips reach around $30 billion per year indicates that many people consume these little snacks regularly. The next question to consider is: what kind of health concerns can their consumption create?
Besides the salt and fat content problems that potato chips can contribute to, there is also a more recently publicized health risk associated with them. I’m not talking about trans fats, which are now widely recognized as unhealthy (you can find lots of information on these factors online and through various media sources). Instead, I’m referring to “acrylamide.” I wanted to highlight this chemical compound as there isn’t as much information available about it. Acrylamide is formed when starchy foods are baked or fried at very high temperatures. It is considered a potential cancer-causing agent, and its levels in potato chips can be quite high. Recent legislation in the U.S. is pushing for potato chip companies to label their products with warnings about the high acrylamide levels they contain. Some chip products exceed current U.S. standards for labeling, with acrylamide levels that are upwards of 150 to 910 times greater than the threshold for requiring a label. Until recently, this knowledge wasn’t widely shared with the public, which is concerning to me and makes me less likely to eat chips—at least not as often. The choice is yours: enjoy them every day or snack occasionally. Just remember that they can be quite addictive. Now that you know a bit more about their history, it should help you make an informed decision. Happy snacking!
One Response
Nice but missing information. When I opened this page, there was a bleach blond Russian woman with big boobs staring at me. I thought I was safe from all that on a food site. Anyhow, what about the various oils used for frying? They also have a way of microwaving that makes crunchy potato chips. What about the toxicity? What about that kind of fat travelling through our digestion? I used to eat 4-6 ounces of chips PLUS a whopping amount of chip dip which I am sure is full of fat.
On a side note, it seems like you are from Europe somewhere because of how you write. Would you mind telling me? Thank you. Art