Potato chips form a large part of thesnack food and convenience food market in Western countries. The global potato chip market generated total revenue of US$16.49 billion in 2005. This accounted for 35.5% of the total savory snacks market in that year (which was $46.1 billion overall).[1]
History
The earliest known recipe for potato chips is in the English cookWilliam Kitchiner's bookThe Cook's Oracle published in 1817,[2] which was a bestseller in the United Kingdom and the United States.[3] The 1822 edition's recipe for "Potatoes fried in Slices or Shavings" reads "peel large potatoes... cut them in shavings round and round, as you would peel a lemon; dry them well in a clean cloth, and fry them in lard or dripping".[2][4] An 1825 British book about French cookery calls them "Pommes de Terre frites" (second recipe) and calls for thin slices of potato fried in "clarified butter or goose dripping", drained and sprinkled with salt.[5] Early recipes for potato chips in the US are found inMary Randolph'sVirginia House-Wife (1824)[6] and in N.K.M. Lee'sCook's Own Book (1832),[7] both of which explicitly cite Kitchiner.[8]
A legend associates the creation of potato chips withSaratoga Springs, New York, decades later than the first recorded recipe.[9] By the late nineteenth century, a popular version of the story attributed the dish toGeorge Crum, a cook[10][11] atMoon's Lake House who was trying to appease an unhappy customer on August 24, 1853.[12] The customer kept sending back hisFrench-fried potatoes, complaining that they were too thick,[13] too "soggy", or not salted enough. Frustrated, Crum sliced several potatoes extremely thin, fried them to a crisp, and seasoned them with extra salt. To his surprise, the customer loved them. They soon came to be called "Saratoga Chips",[14] a name that persisted into the mid-twentieth century. A version of this story was popularized in a 1973 national advertising campaign by St. Regis Paper Company which manufactured packaging for chips, claiming that Crum's customer wasCornelius Vanderbilt.[10] Crum was already renowned as a chef at the time, and he owned a lakeside restaurant by 1860 which he called Crum's House.[10] The "Saratoga Chips" brand name still exists today.
Production
Homemade potato slices are deep fried in hot oil for several minutes.
In the 20th century, potato chips spread beyond chef-cooked restaurant fare and began to be mass-produced for home consumption. TheDayton, Ohio-basedMikesell's Potato Chip Company, founded in 1910, identifies as the "oldest potato chip company in the United States".[15][16][17] New Hampshire-based Granite State Potato Chip Factory, founded in 1905 and in operation until 2007, was one of America's first potato chip manufacturers.[18][19][20]
Flavoring
An advertisement for Smith's Potato CrispsSince 2010, air frying has become a popular alternative to deep frying, including the preparations of homemade potato chips.
In an idea originated by theSmiths Potato Crisps Company Ltd, formed in 1920, Frank Smith packaged his chips in greaseproof paper bags and attached a twist of salt, and sold them around London.[21] The potato chip remained otherwise unseasoned until the 1950s. After some trial and error, in 1954, Joe "Spud" Murphy, the owner of the Irish crisps companyTayto, and his employee Seamus Burke, produced the world's first seasoned chips: cheese & onion.[22][23] Companies worldwide sought to buy the rights to Tayto's technique.[24]Walkers of Leicester, England produced cheese & onion the same year.[25]Golden Wonder (Smith's main competitor at the time) also started to produce cheese & onion, and Smith's countered with salt & vinegar (tested first by their north-east England subsidiaryTudor and then launched nationally in 1967), starting a two-decade-long flavor war.[26][27]
The first flavored chips in the United States,barbecue flavor, were being manufactured and sold by 1954.[28][29][30] In 1958,Herr's was the first company to introduce barbecue-flavored potato chips inPennsylvania.[31]
Packaging
Chips sold in markets were usually sold in tins or scooped out of storefront glass bins and delivered by horse and wagon. Early potato chip bags werewax paper with the ends ironed or stapled together. At first, potato chips were packaged in barrels or tins, which left chips at the bottom stale and crumbled.
In the 1920s,Laura Scudder,[32][33][34] an entrepreneur inMonterey Park, California, started having her workers take home sheets of wax paper to iron into the form of bags, which were filled with chips at her factory the next day. This pioneering method reduced crumbling and kept the chips fresh and crisp longer. This innovation, along with the invention ofcellophane, allowed potato chips to become amass-market product. Today, chips are packaged in plastic bags, with nitrogen gas blown in prior to sealing to lengthen shelf life, and provide protection against crushing.[35][36][37][38]
Kettle-cooked chips
"Kettle chips" redirects here. For the brand, seeKettle Foods.
Kettle-cooked chips
Chips were long made in abatch process, where the potato slices are rinsed with cold water to release starch,[39] fried at a low temperature of 300 °F (150 °C),[40] and continuously raked to prevent them from sticking together.
Industrial advances resulted in a shift to production by acontinuous process, running the chips through a vat of hot oil and drying them in a conveyor process.
Some small producers continued to use a batch process, notably inMaui.[41] In 1980, inspired by the Maui Chip, an entrepreneur startedCape Cod Potato Chips to produce thicker, batch-cooked "Hawaiian style" potato chips, which came to be known as kettle-style (US) or hand-cooked (UK) chips and became a premium, "gourmet" item.[42] Kettle chips are thicker and the surface starch is not rinsed off, resulting in a style of chip called "hard-bite".[43]
A Bangladeshi version of potato chips, marketed as "potato crackers"
Little consistency exists in theEnglish-speaking world for the name of this food. North American English uses "chips", though Canadians may also call French fries, especially thick ones, "chips" as well.[44] "Crisps" may be used for thin fried or baked products made from potato paste.[45] An example of this type of snack isPringles, which are marketed as "potato crisps" even in the United States.[45]
In the United Kingdom and Ireland they are called "crisps", whilst "chips" refers tofrench fries (as in "fish and chips").[46] In Australia, some parts of South Africa, New Zealand, India, and theWest Indies, especially in Barbados, both forms of potato product are simply known as "chips", as are the larger "home-style" variety. In the north of New Zealand, they are sometimes affectionately known as "chippies"; however, they are marketed as "chips" throughout the country.[citation needed] In Australia and New Zealand, a distinction is sometimes made between "hot chips" (fried potatoes) and "chips" or "potato chips". In Bangladesh, they are generally known as "chip" or "chips", and much less frequently as "crisps" (pronounced "kirisp") and locally,alu bhaja.
In German-speaking countries (Austria, Germany: "Kartoffelchips", often shortened to "Chips"; Switzerland: "Pommes Chips") and in countries of theformer Yugoslavia, fried thin potato slices are known as "chips" (locally pronounced very similarly to the English pronunciation), with a clear distinction from French fries. In Brazil, "home-style" potato chips are known asbatatas portuguesas ("Portuguese potatoes") if their sides are relatively smooth andbatatas prussianas ("Prussian potatoes") if their sides show a wafer biscuit-like pattern, whilst American-like industrial uniform potato chips made from a fried potato purée-based dough are known as "batata chips" ("potato chips"), or just "chips".[citation needed]
Health concerns
Most potato chips contain high levels ofsodium, fromsalt. This has been linked to health issues such as highblood pressure.[47] However, researchers atQueen Mary University of London in 2004 have noted that a small "bag of ready-salted crisps" contains less salt than a serving of many breakfast cereals, including "every brand ofcornflakes on sale in the UK".[48]
Some potato chip companies have responded to the long-standing concerns by investing in research and development to modify existing recipes and create health-conscious products.PepsiCo research shows that about 80% of salt on chips is not sensed by the tongue before being swallowed.Frito-Lay spent $414 million in 2009 on product development, including development of salt crystals that would reduce the salt content ofLay's potato chips without adversely affecting flavor.[49]
Unsalted chips are available, e.g. the longstanding British brandSalt 'n' Shake, whose chips are not seasoned but instead include a small saltsachet in the bag for seasoning to taste. Many other popular brands in the United States, such asFrito-Lay, also offer such a product.
Onehealth scare related to potato chips focused onacrylamide, which is produced when potatoes are fried or baked at high temperatures. This discovery in 2002 led to international health concerns. Subsequent research has however found that it is not likely that the acrylamides in burnt or well-cooked food cause cancer in humans;Cancer Research UK categorizes the idea that burnt food causes cancer as a "myth".[50]
In August 2008,California Attorney GeneralJerry Brown announced a settlement withFrito-Lay,Kettle Foods, andLance Inc., the makers ofCape Cod Potato Chips, for violating the state'sSafe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act. The state had alleged in 2005 that potato chips from these companies failed to document that they contained high levels of acrylamide, which is listed by California since the 1990s as acarcinogen. These companies paid fines and agreed to reduce acrylamide levels to be under 275 parts per billion.[51][52] Many potato chip manufacturers attempt to remove burned and thus potentially acrylamide-rich chips before the packaging process. Large scanners are used to eliminate chips worst affected by heat.[53]
In theUnited Kingdom,Walkers makes crisps with popular flavours as Prawn Cocktail, Beef and Onion, Roast Chicken, Smoky Bacon, Worcester Sauce, Pickled Onion, and Tomato Ketchup,[57][58] and exotic flavors Thai sweet chili, roast pork and creamy mustard sauce, chicken with Italian herbs, SpicySriracha, BBQ Pulled Pork, sea salt and cider vinegar, spicy and aromatic curry, turkey and bacon, caramelized onion and sweet balsamic vinegar, Stilton and cranberry.[58] InIreland, the word "Tayto" is synonymous with potato chips after theTayto brand, and can be used to describe all varieties of chips, including those not produced by Tayto.[59] Hunky Dorys and King are other popular Irish brands.
InGermany,Belgium and theNetherlands, salted andsweet paprika chips (sometimes also calledungarisch (from "Hungarian") in Germany) are the two most common and popular types. In Germany, chip producers have introduced additional flavours, such as sour cream and onion, cheese, oriental, or more exotic seasonings like "Chakalaka", "Currywurst", "Pommes" (french fries), and "Rot-weiss" (red and white: french fries withtomato ketchup andmayonnaise). In Belgium and the Netherlands, "Bolognese" flavoured potato chips are also popular; this flavour was introduced by Belgian chip company Croky.
InRussia, the Russkaya Kartoshka brand of chips claim reduced content of oil in their curled (C-shaped, nearly ball-shaped) chips, and offers flavors[60] like grilled salmon, shrimp and "Kamchatka's crab", that are unique seafood-themed flavors of potato chips mass-produced in Russia.Lay's offers crab-flavored and no-cream green onion flavored chips as ones made uniquely for Russian market. Lay's "Iz pechi" (literally "from the stove") line of less-oiled chips also include crab flavor. "Just Brutal" brand has pitch-black chips,[61] where the flavors are "vinegar" and "Thai sweet pepper".
Asia
Bowl of pizza-flavored chips in JapanTriangle potato chips with Indian spicy flavors
InIndonesia, potato chips are commonly calledkripik kentang and traditionally fell under thekripik category. The major brands areIndofood's Chitato (since 1990s)[65] andLay's (Frito-Lay). In 2014, Japan's Calbee and Indonesia's Wings Food formed Calbeewings, a joint venture and marketed Potabee potato chips offering two flavors: beef BBQ and grilled seaweed.[66] Lay's potato chips sold in Indonesia are available in six flavors: honey butter, sour cream and onion,nori seaweed, beef barbecue, classic salty, and salmonteriyaki flavors.[67] In 2018 Chitato launched three unusual flavors: beefrendang, fried crab golden egg yolk, and mango sticky rice.[68]
Pringles potato crisps are uniform in size and shape, which allows them to be stacked.
Another food made from potatoes, notably thePringles andLay's Stax brands, is made byextruding or pressing a dough made from dehydrated potato flour into the desired shape before frying. This makes a product that is uniform in size and shape, which allows them to be stacked and packaged in rigid cardboard or plastic canisters. Pringles are officially branded as "potato crisps" in the US. Pringles may be termed "potato chips" in Britain, to distinguish them from traditional "crisps", but do not meet the definition orstandard of identity for potato chips.Munchos, another brand that uses the term "potato crisps", has deep air pockets in its chips that give it a curved shape, though the chips themselves resemble regular bagged chips.
An additional product similar to potato chips exists in the form of "potato sticks", also called "shoestring potatoes". These are made as extremely thin (2 to 3 mm) versions of the popular French fry but are fried in the manner of regular salted potato chips. Ahickory-smoke-flavored version is popular in Canada, going by thevending machine name "Hickory Sticks". Potato sticks are typically packaged in rigid containers, although some manufacturers use flexible pouches, similar to potato chip bags. Potato sticks were originally packed in hermetically sealed steel cans. In the 1960s, manufacturers switched to the less expensive composite canister (similar to the Pringles container).Reckitt Benckiser was a market leader in this category[citation needed] under the Durkee Potato Stix andFrench's Potato Sticks names but exited the business in 2008. In 2014, French's reentered the market. A larger variant (about 1 cm thick) made with dehydrated potatoes is marketed asAndy Capp'sPub Fries, using the theme of a long-running Britishcomic strip, which are baked and sold in a variety of flavors. Walkers make a similar product (using the Smiths brand) called "Chipsticks" which are sold in ready-salted and salt and vinegar flavors.
Some companies have also marketedbaked potato chips as an alternative with lower fat content. Additionally, some varieties of fat-free chips have been made using artificial, and indigestible, fat substitutes. These became well known in the media when an ingredient many contained,Olestra, was linked in some individuals to abdominal discomfort and loose stools.[69]
Although made from corn and not potato,Monster Munch are called crisps (potato chips) in Britain.
Many other products might be called "crisps" in Britain, but would not be classed as "potato chips" because they are not made with potato or are not chipped (for example,Wotsits,Quavers,Skips,Hula Hoops, andMonster Munch). British restaurant criticTanya Gold argues that Monster Munch "is absolutely not a crisp".[70]
Sweet potato chips are eaten in Korea, New Zealand, and Japan; parsnip,beetroot, and carrot crisps are available in the United Kingdom. India is famous[citation needed] for a large number of localized 'chips shops', selling not only potato chips, but also other varieties such as plantain chips, tapioca chips,yam chips, and even carrot chips. Plantain chips, also known aschifles ortostones, are also sold in the Western Hemisphere from Canada to Chile. In the Philippines, banana chips can be found sold at local stores. In Kenya, chips are made fromarrowroot andcassava. In the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, and Australia, a new variety of Pringles made from rice has been released and marketed as lower in fat than its potato counterparts.[71]
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^M.A. Del Nobile (2001). "Packaging design for potato chips".Journal of Food Engineering.47 (3):211–215.doi:10.1016/S0260-8774(00)00118-7.
^"Atty. Gen. Brown Settles Potato Chip Lawsuit With Heinz, Frito-Lay & Kettle Foods".Press Release. State of California. 1 August 2008. Retrieved28 October 2011.Under today's settlements, Frito-Lay, Inc., which sells most of the potato chips sold in California, Kettle Foods, Inc., maker of "Kettle Chips", and Lance, Inc., maker of Cape Cod Chips will reduce acrylamide over a period of three years to 275 parts per billion. For Frito Lay, this is about a 20% reduction, while for Kettle Chips, which contain far more acrylamide, this is an 87% reduction in acrylamide.
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