Potato Chips
K. Reiter
Potato chips are one of the most popular snacks in America. These salty, crunchy snacks are devoured at a rate of 1.2 billion pounds annually. But did you know that they were invented purely by accident?
Potato chips were invented by George Crum in 1853, who was a chef at an elegant resort in Saratoga Springs, New York. A customer who visited the restaurant complained about the thick, soggy French fries. Crum made a thinner batch, but the customer was still dissatisfied.
Crum became frustrated and wanted to teach the customer a lesson, so he sliced the potatoes as thin as possible. He then fried them until they were hard and crunchy. He added a generous pile of salt on top. The customer actually enjoyed the thin potatoes, and a new snack was born. The original name of the chips was Saratoga Chips and potato crunches. Crum went on to open his own restaurant in 1860. On each table, he served a basket of potato chips.
Before chips were sold in bags, they were stored in cracker barrels or glass display cases and served in paper bags. However, the chips did not last long when stored this way. In 1926, Laura Scudder had an idea to hand-iron sheets of wax paper into bags. She then filled them with potato chips and ironed the top. The bags kept the chips fresher for a longer period of time and also prevented them from being crushed.
In the 1920s, Herman Lay, a traveling salesman, began selling potato chips out of the trunk of his car. He became very successful and Lay’s potato chip became the first successfully marketed national brand. Today, there are many different flavors and brands of potato chips that are enjoyed by many people. Chips stay fresh in bags.
What is the most likely reason the author wrote this selection?
Responses
A To show the reader the many different types of potato chips available To show the reader the many different types of potato chips available
B To persuade the reader to try the many flavors of potato chips To persuade the reader to try the many flavors of potato chips
C To inform the reader about the accidental invention of the potato chip To inform the reader about the accidental invention of the potato chip
D To explain how to use potatoes to make your own potato chips