We bet you didn’t know that a lot of foods we consume everyday were in fact invented by accident. We have compiled a list of 7 such foods to enlighten you!
1. Potato Chips
It is believed that potato chips were invented by an unintentional try. Back in 1853, a New York based chef named George Crum was so annoyed by the constant badgering and complaining of customers that his French fries were too thick that he started slicing them as thin as possible. This time the customers loved the result and in this way thin crispy potato chips were born.
2. Popsicles
In 1905, an 11 year-old boy named Frank Epperson is believed to be the inventor of the Popsicle. He left a glass of soda in his porch overnight with a stirring stick still in it. The next day, after a cold night, the drink had frozen. Frank pulled the stick and, to his surprise, the drink had turned into a frozen ice-lolly. Nine years later, he patented his accidental creation with the name “Popsicle”.
3. Chocolate Chip Cookies
In the 1930s, Ruth Graves Wakefield added pieces of chocolate to her cookie mix hoping that these piece would dissolve in and make the batter chocolate brown. The result came out different, as cookies studded with chunks of chocolate came out of the hot baking oven. Soon, her Massachusetts Inn was known for its chocolate chip cookies.
4. Ice-cream Cones
In 1904, Arnold Fornachou, an ice-cream vendor had run out of dishes in which he was to serve ice-cream to customers at the St. Louis World’s Fair. A nearby concessionaire named Ernest Hamwi, who was selling pastries helped Fornachou by rolling up the waffle-like pastry so he could keep selling ice-creams. The cone became an instant hit with customers.
5. Corn Flakes
In 1898, W.K. Kellogg and his brother Dr. John Harvey Kellogg were trying to find an easily digestible substitute of the bread to serve to their patients. The two brothers started to boil wheat to make dough, but they boiled it for too long and the wheat became stale. Since they weren’t willing to waste it, they rolled down the hardened dough but it cracked into pieces. The Kellogg brothers then baked it and found it to be a delicious healthy snack. They later experimented with other grains too and thus CORN was an instant success.
6. Sandwiches
One day in the 1700s, John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich was so busy gambling that he did not want to get up to eat something which is why he ordered his food to be served in between two slices of bread. Others believe Montagu was so occupied with the work on his desk that he preferred a utensil-free meal. Whatever the truth was, Montagu’s refusal to get up for a meal eventually led to the discovery of sandwiches that have been so popular ever since then.
7. Cheese Puffs
Cheese puffs were accidentally invented in the 1930’s. The Flakall Company invented a machine that was used to break down their livestock feed. Moistened corn kernels were fed into the machine to avoid clogging of machine. One day Edward Wilson was running the grain flaking machine that he noticed some puffed corn curls coming out of the machine. Those moistened corn kernels were the reason behind this. Corns went through the hot machine, got hit by the air, and turned into puffy ribbons of corn. Wilson took these corn ribbons home and then added some oil and seasoning to them. He was awarded a patent in 1939 for making delicious cheese curls.
So, let’s take out a moment to thank all these people who failed at their jobs to invent something we can’t think of living without!
Contributed by: Fatima Qureshi.
