Occasionally, chefs make mistakes, switch ingredients, or forget to check on their creations, sometimes resulting in deliciously original new foods that only exist because of sheer luck. Here are 5 famous foods you’ll be surprised to discover were ‘invented’ entirely by accident.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
The world almost missed out on the most famous and beloved cookie recipe of all—the chocolate chip variation. This treat was invented accidentally in 1938 when Ruth Wakefield, an innkeeper in Massachusetts, ran out of plain baking chocolate to melt for her cookie recipe. In a moment of ingenuity (or perhaps desperation!), she chopped up a Nestlé chocolate bar and added the pieces to the batter. The result was the now-iconic chocolate chip cookie.
The original Nestle chocolate bar used in the first accidental batch of chocolate chip cookies was actually semi-sweet chocolate, leading to the delightful balance of sweetness and chocolate flavor we know and love today.
Tarte Tatin
With its caramelized apples and buttery pastry crust, this classic French dessert boasts a story as sweet as its taste. In the late 19th century, the Tatin sisters, who ran a hotel, were making a traditional apple tart. In a moment of forgetfulness, they left the apples cooking for too long. To salvage the situation, they simply flipped the tart upside down and covered it with pastry. The result? A delightfully caramelized dessert that still epitomizes French cuisine.
Interestingly, there are two versions of the Tatin sisters’ story. Some say they were making a tarte flambée, a thin-crust pizza-like dish with apples, while others claim it was a traditional apple tart. Regardless of the exact origin, the Tatin sisters’ quick thinking turned a potential disaster into a culinary triumph.
Ice Lollies
In 1905, 11-year-old Frank Epperson accidentally left a glass of powdered soda and water with a stirring stick outside overnight. The next morning, he discovered a frozen treat – the very first ice lolly! This simple dismissive act created a summertime staple that is especially enjoyed by children but continues to cool us all down on hot days.
The name “Popsicle” actually belongs to a different brand of ice lolly, created in 1925. Frank Epperson originally called his invention the “Epsicle,” but the name didn’t quite stick!
The Bakewell Tart
This English dessert, with its almond frangipane filling and jammy top, has a surprisingly accidental origin. In the 19th century, a cook at the Rutland Arms Hotel in Bakewell, England, intended to make a jam tart. However, they accidentally used apricot jam instead of raspberry, accidentally creating a unique and delicious flavor combination. The hotel proudly added the new tart to its menu, forever linking the town’s name to the confection.
Interestingly, the Bakewell tart has a close cousin – the Bakewell pudding. While the tart features a jammy top and a pastry base, the pudding boasts a jam center and a buttery pastry crust. Although, the pudding wasn’t created by mistake.
Potato Chips
Crispy, salty, and undeniably addictive, potato chips are a snack enjoyed around the world. But their invention was born out of chance alone. In 1853, a chef named George Crum was working at Moon’s Lake House in Saratoga Springs, New York. A customer complained that their French fries were too thick and soggy, so Crum, in a fit of rage and defiance, sliced the potatoes paper-thin and fried them to a crisp. The result? The world’s first potato chips.
Interestingly, these accidental chips were initially called “Saratoga Chips” after their place of origin. They quickly gained popularity, and other restaurants and snack companies soon began producing their own versions. Today, potato chips come in countless flavors and varieties, but the basic principle of thinly sliced and fried potatoes is all thanks to Crum’s frustration
