This was four years before the George Crum’s invention was supposed to occur, and although it was at the same location, it was before Cary and Harriet Moon operated it as Moon’s Lake House. Stiles published The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt and he included the information that some version of special crispy fried potatoes was being enjoyed in Saratoga Springs in 1849. While many writers were uncomfortable with George Crum stories and there were some facts that cast doubt on the story, no one had uncovered any facts that could totally dispel the legend. Historians are left with the story of the potato chip’s invention that is suspect, but Saratoga Springs role in making the chip famous is well documented and something that many residents are proud of. 1 Historians have found themselves in an extremely difficult situation since it is hard to imagine totally ignoring the story of the potato chip in Saratoga Springs when writing about the City’s past. Some writers have even expressed their discomfort with the facts by using disclaimers such as “it is related” retelling one of the stories. These stories survive and thrive despite the fact that almost everyone recognizes them as a tradition or legend rather than fact. If anyone wrote about George Crum and the potato chip before 1885 I have not been able to find it, so decades separated even the earliest version of the story from the time the discovery was supposed to have happened in 1853. Not surprisingly it doesn’t appear that the origin story of the potato chip held any interest until it appeared that Moon’s Lake House, the setting of most stories, might be sold approximately 30 years after Cary and Harriet Moon opened it. There are many more stories in the second category than there are in the first. The stories fall into two categories, the first are the stories that have some details about when, where and how the potato chip was invented and the others are the stories where an individual is described as the inventor or originator of the potato chip without any details. While the two most popular versions of the story, both of which feature George Crum, are by far the most common, there are several variations that have appeared and disappeared over the years. Crum served as an inspiration for numerous young Black men and women to explore their skills and creativity.Almost no topic in Saratoga Springs history has had more written about it than the origin of the potato chip. He used his success there to open his own restaurant in 1860 called Crum’s, with very high-demand – and high-priced – cuisine.ĭespite his wealthy clientele, he played no favorites and was expressly egalitarian with his food, making the rich wait their turn behind anyone in front of them.
His wealthy customers included the ultra-rich Cornelius Vanderbilt, who mistakenly called him “Crum” instead of Speck, which George strategically embraced.
Either way, Crum’s experimentation led to the refinement and popularization of chips, which became a local and eventually a regional draw from all New England. No one is certain about exactly how the potato chip was invented some claim it was Crum’s sister, working at the same restaurant. He became famous for his unique specialties with venison and wild game, and he was encouraged to continue experimenting in the kitchen. During this time, his reputation as a cook earned him a position at Moon’s Lake House Restaurant on Saratoga Lake, where wealthy New England patrons built their summer camps.
There are a few stories about the invention of the potato chip, but the most reliable ones all center around George Crum, a famous Black chef in the 19th century who served the wealthiest Americans and eventually opened his own wildly successful restaurant.īorn George Speck around the year 1824 to a Native-American mother and African-American father, he worked as a hunter and guide in upper New York state.
0 kommentar(er)
