In 1853, a chef sliced potatoes paper-thin after a complaint which led to the creation of potato chips

The potato chip is among those foods whose origins are known to the public through one of the most fascinating stories ever told in the history of American cuisine; however, it remains one of the most disputed stories in terms of authenticity. According to a story passed down through generations, an individual who was eating at Moon Lake Lodge in Saratoga Springs, New York, demanded that his fried potatoes be made thinner.

In response, George Crum sliced the potatoes to the thinnest possible size, fried them crispy, and served them. Instead of sparking yet another complaint, the potatoes were hailed as a success and enjoyed widely. This is a story that has been recorded in books, taught in schools, and published in media. Nevertheless, the problem here lies in separating fact from fiction.

The Saratoga Springs story that refused to disappear

According to the MIT Lemelson Program, the complaint-and-clever-response story is still the one most closely associated with Crum, as well as with the invention of the potato chip. As a tale full of characters, drama, and resolution, the legend contains all the elements likely to stick with a listener. Its dramatic nature is a big part of why the tale survives and continues to be told after more than 150 years.


The reason this legend persists has to do not only with its simple plot but with its overall simplicity. Someone complains about food, someone responds, and something new is created. This pattern is common in invention legends because complex stories of innovation are reduced to a simple anecdote. The tale of the potato chip is so common precisely because it fits the model perfectly and can thus be easily believed and retold as fact.

Why historians remain cautious

The history of potato chips is told much more often than food stories alone; in particular, a published commentary in PubMed Central discusses the well-known story of Crum reacting to criticism by making very thin cuts of potato. This source makes the following very clear: Repetition alone does not make something true; it can be accepted by a large audience for being memorable despite the lack of factual documentation.

The University at Buffalo is especially cautious when discussing the history of the potato chip, calling it both legendary and oral history. Such a classification of information should not be ignored because oral histories are known for their ability to accurately preserve actual events, simplify facts, reduce the time needed for certain actions, and make clear who was responsible for which act in ways that history does not. Food history is especially prone to such distortions because cooking traditions and recipes tend to be passed down from generation to generation without being written down. What is the reason for historians to pay attention to this history is the question of whether Crum really invented thin fried potatoes in Saratoga Springs and whether such an occasion can be proved as an absolute beginning of potato chips?

How George Crum became part of food folklore

It is not clear whether all the facts of this now-famous quarrel actually occurred as described, but the place George Crum occupies in the popular imagination is unshakable. Crum still comes up first when the MIT Lemelson Center discusses this invention, and this connection has lasted for many generations. In fact, he is the kind of hero that we often look for in tales of invention: not some far-off businessman or scientist in a lab but someone actually cooking up his food.

A grievance in the kitchen is a common phenomenon that almost everyone can relate to, but translating the kitchen complaint into a dish creates an exciting contrast that resonates with audiences. According to the University at Buffalo's historical analysis, tales such as this persist because they anthropomorphize commonplace products by assigning them a person and an episode of birth. In the case of the story of potato chips, this criterion has been fulfilled since the invention has been assigned both a man and the episode of creation. Over 170 years later, the picture remains almost identical: a customer, his complaint, a chef cutting potatoes into incredibly thin slices, and a fryer filled with boiling oil; the authenticity of the historical narrative is debatable, yet the significance of this tale in food culture is beyond dispute.