The potato chip is most commonly credited to chef George Crum (born George Speck), who was cooking at Moon’s Lake House in Saratoga Springs, New York, in 1853, though the exact origins are somewhat debated.

Quick Scoop

  • A widely told story says that a customer kept complaining that his fried potatoes were too thick and soft, so Crum sliced potatoes paper-thin, fried them until crisp, and salted them heavily to spite the guest.
  • The customer loved them, they were added to the restaurant’s menu as “Saratoga Chips,” and the style spread, becoming the modern potato chip.
  • Some accounts suggest Crum’s sister, Catherine “Aunt Kate” Wicks, or later restaurateur Hiram Thomas also had roles or competing claims, which is why historians describe the invention story as “hazy,” even though Crum remains the best-known name linked to the chip’s creation.

TL;DR: Most sources say George Crum created the potato chip in 1853, but there are a few rival legends around who really first fried those ultra-thin, crispy potatoes.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.