Potato chips, Potato crisps, however you say it, the man who invented this crunchy delight deserves an award. Yes a gold medal an Oscar. He deserves something. I mean what genius, what fun.
Chances are in those days, a person who invented things or came up with the idea didn’t get much recognition. Most went on unnoticed for many years. It’s not like today. You can make millions or billions off an idea which aren’t nearly half as genius as a crunchy, salty, multi flavored, deep fried potato. Well, George crumb was one of those geniuses without realizing it. He was born George Speck in 1922 and later changed his name to crumb, a jockey term his father often used. Interesting — crumb? There isn’t any crumbs left when I get a hold of a potato chip bag. Crumb was born to an African American father and Native American mother of the Huron Tribe. He was native of Saratoga Lake, New York. He worked at various jobs of which one was a tour guide in the Adirondack Mountains. He also worked as an Indian trader.
But it was his job as a chef at the Elegant Moon Lake resort in Saratoga Springs that changed his life for the better. It was an ordinary day at work for Crumb. He worked alongside his sister Kate who also worked at the restaurant as a prep cook. Well history has it that one day after Crumb had prepared his usual entre of French Fried Potatoes. It wasn’t long before the plate was returned to the kitchen alongside a complaint that the French Fried potatoes, were consistently on the soggy side.
Well this did not sit well with Crumb as he knew he was a good cook and that this was how they were always prepared. I could imagine how he must have been muttering to himself about how hell gives them crispy alright!! Well it seems that exactly what happened. And I thought all cooks were above retaliation when receiving complaints. Yeah, I remember all those reality hidden videos at fast food joints. It’s usually not a good idea to complain about food unless you know you can see if someone spit in it. I know that’s difficult to do. Let’s just say it’s safe to complain if your French fries are cold or soggy; at least you can see the spit a mile away. Anyway back to Crumb and his decision to make the crunchiest French fried potato the complaining customer had ever eaten. I suppose he was hoping the customer might lose a tooth. You gotta love that passive aggressive spirit.
Well he sliced the potato extra, extra thin and fried them to a perfect crunchy consistency. Wow! , the customer loved it. It was all the rave and Crumb found himself making more with a little dash of course salt to give it that extra pizzazz. Crumb eventually opened his own restaurant in 1895 and of course served potatoes crisps like the basket of bread we are used to seeing on our table before we engulf our meal. Unfortunately Crumb did not paten his potato crisp/chip idea. He could have put his name on it and we would have had the Crumb bag like the Frito Lays bags that are on the shelves today.
This is how it was with many inventors back then, they never thought of bottling water as it belonged to everyone. Of course there are those who took advantage of the opportunity to make a fortune like Dasani and Deerpark. William Tappendon was one of these entrepreneurs. In 1895 he made his potato chips from his house and later in a make shift factory in his backyard. He then sold his chips to grocery stores. His attempt to get it to the masses was upped by a Hanover, Pennsylvania company, Hanover Home Potato Chip Company, which in 1921 sold potato chips by the bulk to hundreds of grocery stores. Who came up with the big bag idea? That was left to Laura Scudder who in 1926 came up with the waxed paper bag inspiration.
So there you have it. No pyramid business venture as we see today were the catalyst gets the bucks and then you know how it goes you get the crumbs. Crumb never became famous for his potato Chips but he had a very successful career with his restaurant. He catered to high society folks like the Vanderbilt’s.
Crumb closed his restaurant in 1860; Quite a long run. He died on July 22, 1914 at the ripe old age of 92.
Thank you George Crumb for this beautiful thing I couldn’t live without it. When I moved to a small town in New Jersey from Europe, I was sorely disappointed that they did not sell my beloved salt and vinegar crisps. Europe has a gold mine of potato chip flavors, too many flavors to mention. My sister and I used to improvise by getting plain then drizzling them with vinegar. Oh the lengths we would go for a good chip. Did I tell you that are one thing I could not live without, crackers just don’t cut it.
Thanks again Mr. Crumb, for being so passive aggressive. Many people tell me I’m slightly passive aggressive, maybe that a good thing. I could invent something out of spite. I know I could!
