Who Really Invented the Potato Chip? | Smartest Year Ever (July 8, 2025)

Who really invented the potato chip?Was it an act of culinary genius—or just a frustrated chef slicing out of spite?

In this episode of Smartest Year Ever, Gordy digs into the salty, crispy, and surprisingly murky origin of the potato chip. From a legendary restaurant in Saratoga Springs to industrial food innovation, it’s a story that combines spite-driven creativity, clever marketing, and one of the most important inventions in snack food history.

Discover the myth, the truth, and the billion-dollar empire behind one of America’s favorite junk foods—plus the woman who changed everything with a wax paper bag.

This is Food Facts Week—a new bite-sized food history every day.

Follow for daily facts that stick in your brain like crumbs in a chip bag.

Sources:

• Kitchiner, W. (1817). The Cook's Oracle. London: John Hatchard.
  

• Smith, A. F. (1999). Popped Culture: A Social History of Popcorn and Chips. University of South Carolina Press.
  

• Potato chip. (n.d.). In Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/potato-chip
  

• Severson, K. (1995, July). A Crunchy Legacy: Saratoga Springs and the Potato Chip. The New York Times.
  

• NPR. (2013, August 23). The Woman Who Invented the Potato Chip Bag. https://www.npr.org
  

• Frito-Lay. (n.d.). Company History. https://www.fritolay.com
  

• National Potato Council. (2024). Industry Statistics. https://www.nationalpotatocouncil.org
  

#potatochips #foodfacts #dailyfacts #foodhistory #snackfacts #curiousminds #SmartestYearEver

Music thanks to Zapsplat.