George Crum (inventor)
George Crum (originally George Speck ; * 1822 in Saratoga Lake , New York ; † 1914 there ) was an American cook who is credited with inventing the potato chips .
He is referred to in some publications as an African American , in others as an Indian , or is said to have been of German descent.
The invention of the potato chips
In 1853, George Crum was a cook at the Moon Lake Lodge Hotel in Saratoga Springs . In response to complaints from a guest that the fried potato slices were not thin and seasoned enough, he is said to have cut the slices extremely thin, heavily seasoned and thus created potato chips for the first time. According to an urban legend , the guest is said to have been Cornelius Vanderbilt . The dish soon became very popular. Crum later opened his own restaurant on the southern shore of Lake Saratoga Springs, in which there was said to have been a basket with his "potato crunches" on every table. Of course, the restaurant was best known for its "potato crunches", which must have given George Crum the idea to offer his invention in small boxes to take away.
Web links
- Dave Mitchell: George Crum. In: Chips, Crums, and Specks of Saratoga County History. August 10, 2013 (English).
- Phil Ament: George Crum. In: The Great Idea Finder. April 20, 2007 (English).
- John E. Harmon: Potato Chips. In: Atlas of Popular Culture in the Northeastern United States. Archived from the original on February 20, 2011 (reproduced on the Central Connecticut State University website ).
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Crum, George |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Bacon, George (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American chef, inventor of the potato chips |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1822 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Saratoga Lake , New York |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1914 |
| Place of death | Saratoga Lake , New York |