10 Foods That Were Invented by Accident

Some of the world’s most famous foods weren’t intentional, but happened through unexpected errors and kitchen blunders. They range from an exasperated chef creating potato chips to an overlooked sauce allowing it to ferment into Worcestershire. Such tales illustrate how wonderful things occur when things have gone “wrong.” This rundown takes a closer look at 10 intriguing food innovations that started in error but wound up defining what we munch today.

1. Potato Chips

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In 1853, a chef, George Crum, inadvertently created potato chips while attempting to pacify a customer who continually sent his fries back for being too thick. In frustration, he cut the potatoes paper-thin, fried them until crispy, and sprinkled them with heavy salt. To everyone’s astonishment, the customer adored them—and so did the rest of the world.

2. Chocolate Chip Cookies

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During the 1930s, Ruth Wakefield made cookies at the Toll House Inn and used her baker’s chocolate. She cut up a Nestlé bar of chocolate thinking it would melt into the dough. The pieces retained their shape, producing the first chocolate chip cookie.

3. Popsicles

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In 1905, Frank Epperson, age 11, left a cup of soda powder and water with a stick to stir on his porch overnight. It had frozen, and upon waking the next day, he found what he termed as the “Epsicle.” He later renamed it “Popsicle” when he began selling it, inspired by his children’s nickname “Pop’s ‘sicles.”

4. Corn Flakes

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Brothers Will and John Kellogg experimented with a granola-type food for sanitarium patients in the late 1800s. They placed boiled wheat outside overnight, and by morning, they had rolled it out and found that it had flaked. Baking the flakes produced a crunchy, new breakfast sensation—Corn Flakes.

5. Cheese Puffs

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In the 1930s, Edward Wilson was employed at a corn company, where moist cornmeal was used to clean machines to avoid clogs. When heated, the cornmeal puffed up, and out of curiosity, Wilson seasoned and consumed the puffs. This unusual byproduct is the foundation for the popular cheesy snack.

6. Tarte Tatin

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This French dessert originated when the Tatin sisters accidentally overcooked apples while preparing a pie. In haste, they tossed pastry on top and baked it all together. The caramelized apple tart upside-down turned out to be so tasty that it became a culinary classic.

7. Ice Cream Cones

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At the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, one of the ice cream vendors exhausted all of their dishes. Another vendor, Ernest Hamwi, who was selling waffles nearby, took one of his crispy wafers and folded it into a cone to assist him. The spur-of-the-moment waffle cone sensation revolutionized ice cream forever.

8. Worcestershire Sauce

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In the 1830s, chemists John Lea and William Perrins attempted to copy an Indian sauce but found their blend terrible. They left the batch behind, which fermented in a basement for years. When they stumbled upon it again, it had become the rich, tangy sauce now called Worcestershire.

9. Beer

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One of the earliest happy accidents, beer probably began more than 7,000 years ago when cereal grains were kept moist and fermented naturally. People saw that the fizzy liquid made them feel good and began to develop the process. Hence, humanity’s long romance with beer started.

10. Nachos

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In 1943, several American military wives in Mexico appeared at a restaurant after hours. The maître d’, Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya, prepared a snack consisting of tortilla chips, melted cheese, and sliced jalapeños. The snack was such a success—and his nickname would become an international menu favorite.

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• accidental inventions
• famous food
• unexpected inventions
• kitchen blunders