A man who accidentally invented a not very useful but tasty thing became rich and famous

On July 15, 1824, a boy was born to the family of Saratoga (New York) residents Abraham Speck and Diana Tull. Who later turned his hobby into a profession and became famous.

In the 1850s, George Speck was hired at Moon’s Lake House, a prestigious Manhattan establishment where the Vanderbilts, Jay Gould, Henry Hilton and others dined. This place gathered the cream of society – entrepreneurs, philanthropists, representatives of the art world, and politicians.

The revolution in one particular restaurant and its consequences

According to gastronomic legend, in 1853, the establishment was once again visited by Cornelius Vanderbilt, a business magnate who made his fortune in railroads and shipping. The businessman was clearly not in the mood and was looking for someone to vent his righteous anger on. After ordering one of his favorite dishes, fried potatoes, Vanderbilt was very dissatisfied. No, not quality – Speck by that time was deservedly considered an excellent cook. The client was not satisfied with the thickness of the slices: they were too thick.

The order returned to the kitchen. Speck prepared new potatoes, cutting them thinner. But Cornelius rejected her too. As a result, even Speck, who adhered to the strict rule “the customer is always right,” got angry and chopped the unfortunate tubers so thin that one could view the world through them, fried them and prepared for heavenly punishment. After all, the petals, fried to a crunch, could not even be picked up with a fork.

But Cornelius was unexpectedly delighted. The friends of the pretentious fastidious also appreciated the new product. And soon a new signature dish appeared on the restaurant’s menu – potato chips, which were nicknamed “Saratoga chips”. By the way, there is a version that it was Cornelius who came up with the nickname – Crum, under which George Speck became famous because he constantly forgot the cook’s last name.

In 1860, Speck opened his own establishment, which lasted 30 years and was incredibly popular.

Alternative version

George’s sister Catherine Weeks also claimed the title of “Mother of Chips". The woman worked in the same restaurant. And, according to her, she accidentally dropped a piece of potato into the hot oil. She took the instantly fried slice out onto a plate. And my brother came up and, having tried it, said that now the restaurant will prepare a lot of such pieces.

Be that as it may, the industry, of which Speck became the founding father, does not cease to develop. And the snack, although not very healthy for the body, continues to be one of the most popular in the world.