The first commercially successful flavored potato chips were Cheese & Onion and Salt & Vinegar, introduced by the Irish company Tayto in the 1950s, pioneered by Joe "Spud" Murphy and Seamus Burke, revolutionizing the industry from plain salted chips. In the US, Barbecue was among the first flavored chips introduced later in the 1950s.
Tayto, a small Irish company, pioneered the technology to add seasoning to chips. The world's first seasoned potato chips were Cheese and Onion and Salt n' Vinegar. The first two flavors in America, however, were Sour Cream and Onion and Barbecue. On a side note, mint-flavored chips are wildly popular in India.
After some trial and error, in 1954, Joe "Spud" Murphy, the owner of the Irish crisps company Tayto, and his employee Seamus Burke, produced the world's first seasoned chips: cheese & onion.
Later, he would go on to drive across the Southern US, selling the snack out of the back of his car. The first flavored Lay's chips were Barbeque. Lay's started out with only one flavor – their classic salted chips, until the introduction of Barbeque flavored chips in 1965, followed by Sour Cream and Onion.
There isn't one single "most unhealthy" chip, but highly processed, heavily flavored varieties like Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos, Fritos Chili Cheese Corn Chips, and some Pringles flavors are consistently cited for high levels of sodium, unhealthy fats, artificial additives, and refined ingredients, offering little nutritional value. Chips with long ingredient lists, artificial colors (like Red 40), sugars (dextrose, maltodextrin), and inflammatory oils (canola) are generally considered less healthy.
Interestingly, the oldest snack food discovered was Popcorn. It is over 7000 years old and originated in Peru and Mexico. Archaeological research found the oldest maize husk that was said to be the evidence of popcorn preparation by ancient indigenous peoples.
The product was originally known as Pringle's Newfangled Potato Chips, but other snack manufacturers objected, saying Pringles failed to meet the definition of a potato "chip" since they were made from a potato-based dough rather than being sliced from potatoes.
Most Popular Chip Flavors
Americans have their favorites regarding flavor, but new options are constantly shaking things up. Here's a look at the top flavors and their share of the market: Original (Plain Salted): The classic plain salted chip remains the most popular, accounting for around 33% of sales.
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In 1954, the first flavoured crisps were invented by Joe “Spud” Murphy (owner of the Irish company Tayto) who developed a technique to add cheese and onion seasoning during production.
How are Pringles® made? Pringles® are made with real potatoes that we form into a 'Pringle shaped potato dough', we fry and season the crisps just right before placing them into our iconic can. The seasoning system we use is a waterfall process (seasoning gets sprinkled on) vs a tumbler like other chip processes.
They may have come from France, or perhaps from Belgium, but we know for certain that they have been popular for hundreds of years in England. The first known recipe for chips was published in 1817, in William Kitchiner's cookbook, “The Cook's Oracle”.
The potato chip was invented in Saratoga Lake, NY. Its inventor was George Speck—the son of an African American father and Native American mother. Later he professionally adopted the last name Crum. He was a gifted, although surly, cook working as the chef of the Moon Lake Lodge Resort in 1853.
At the time, in the 90s, we mainly had the the basic potato chip flavors and maybe tortilla chips — and maybe Doritos with cheese," according to Filippelli. Flamin' Hot Cheetos were the first spicy snack to be mass-marketed to Americans.
The term “crisps” is believed to have originated in the United Kingdom in the 1920s. Prior to this, the snack was known as “potato chips” or simply “chips”.
The "worst" chips are typically those high in saturated fat, sodium, and calories, with Pringles, Doritos (especially Spicy Sweet Chili), Cheetos, Fritos, and flavored Lay's often topping lists, alongside intense options like Takis, due to processed ingredients and high sodium, offering little nutritional value compared to healthier alternatives like vegetable or chickpea chips.
Potato chips weren't invented here, but Pennsylvania really has 'em in the bag. With nationally distributed brands like Wise, Utz, and Herr's — along with nostalgic names like Gibble's and Good's — it's no wonder Pennsylvania's known as the “Potato Chip Capital of the World.”
The healthiest chips are typically made from whole foods like veggies, nuts, or legumes, cooked in healthy oils (avocado, olive) or baked, with simple ingredients, low sodium, and no inflammatory vegetable oils. Top choices include Siete tortilla chips, Jackson's sweet potato chips, Hippeas, Boulder Canyon, and veggie chips (beet, parsnip, cauliflower) for nutrient density, fiber, and protein, but always check labels for minimal processing and portion control remains key.
The man who designed the Pringles potato crisp packaging system was so proud of his accomplishment that a portion of his ashes has been buried in one of the tall, circular cans. Fredric J Baur, of Cincinnati, died May 4 at Vitas Hospice in Cincinnati on May 4th, 2008.
Pringles were first sold in the US in 1968 as "Pringles Newfangled Potato Chips," but in 1975 the US Food and Drug Administration ruled that because Pringles contained only 42 percent potato, they couldn't be called "potato chip." As a result, Pringles became the first major US potato-snack brand to be marketed as " ...
Honey has been called the only food that truly lasts forever, thanks to its magical chemistry and the handiwork of bees.
From sizzling coke to crispy potato chips, here are the top 10 foods that were invented by complete accident – and became global favourites.
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