Course | Entrée or side dish, sometimes as part of a main course |
---|---|
Place of origin | United States |
Region or state | Ontario, Oregon |
Created by | F. Nephi Grigg, and Golden Grigg [1] [2] [3] (in 1953) |
Serving temperature | Hot |
Main ingredients | Potato |
Variations | Veggie tots |
(serving size: 86 g) 160 [4] kcal | |
Tater tots are grated potatoes formed into small cylinders and deep-fried, often served as a side dish. [1] "Tater" is a dialect form of the word potato. [5] The name "tater tot" is a registered trademark of the American frozen food company Ore-Ida, but is often used as a generic term. [6] Ore-Ida also markets a coin-shaped version called "Crispy Crowns". [7]
Tater tots were invented in 1953 when American frozen food company Ore-Ida founders F. Nephi Grigg, Golden Grigg, and Ross Erin Butler Sr. were trying to devise a recipe to use leftover slivers of cut potatoes that would otherwise be thrown away. [1] [2] [3] They chopped up the slivers, added flour and seasoning, then pushed the mash through holes and sliced off pieces of the extruded mixture. The product was first offered commercially in stores in 1956. [8]
The name "Tater Tot" is a registered trademark of Ore-Ida—which has been a subsidiary of Heinz (now part of Kraft Heinz) since 1965—but has become so widely associated with the dish that it is often used as a generic term. [9] "Tater" is short for potato. [10] The name "Tater Tot" was created in the 1950s, and soon trademarked by a member of the Ore-Ida company's research committee who used a thesaurus to come up with an alliterative name. [11]
Originally, the product was very inexpensive; according to advertising lectures at Iowa State University, people did not buy it at first because there was no perceived value.[ citation needed ] When the price was raised, people began buying it. Today, Americans consume approximately 70 million pounds (32,000 t) of Tater Tots, or 3,710,000,000 Tots per year. [12] [13]
Since at least 2016, vegetable companies (like the Green Giant brand) have introduced "veggie tots" which seek to substitute more nutritionally dense vegetables (e.g. broccoli and cauliflower) for the potato. [14] [15]
Tater tots, locally known as mat-gamja (Korean : 맛감자), are a common bunsik item in Korea. [16] It is often served in a paper cup, with drizzled sweet gochujang-based sauce.[ citation needed ]
In the United Kingdom, Ross Frozen Foods once produced "Oven Crunchies", although generic versions remain widely available.[ citation needed ] McCain Foods currently produce "Hash Brown Potato Bites" that are similar to classic tater tots.
In Canada, McCain Foods Limited calls its line "Tasti Taters".[ citation needed ]
In the United States, tater tots are common at school-lunch counters and cafeterias. [13] They are also sold in the frozen food sections of grocery stores. [13] Some fast-food restaurants also offer them.
Supermarket chain Safeway sells a generic brand of tater tots known as "Tater Treats".[ citation needed ] Cascadian Farm calls its line "Spud Puppies". Sonic drive-in also features tater tots on their regular menu: available toppings include cheese and chili.[ citation needed ] Sonic also sells "Cheesy Tots", coin-shaped tots that contain melted cheese and potatoes.[ citation needed ] Several restaurants in the Pacific Northwest offer a nacho version of tots known as "totchos", covered in nacho cheese sauce and toppings. Totchos were invented by publican Jim Parker in Portland, Oregon. [17]
Some Mexican-style fast-food restaurants offer seasoned tater tots: Taco Time and Señor Frog's call them "Mexi-Fries", while Taco Bell used to sell them as "Mexi-Nuggets" and "Border Fries".[ citation needed ] Taco Mayo in the Southwest offers round disc-shaped tater tots called "Potato Locos".[ citation needed ] Taco John's also has coin shaped tots called "Potato Olés".[ citation needed ]
Food franchises Potato Corner and Papa John's also offer tater tots in select locations, though in the latter case these are branded as "Potato Tots".[ citation needed ]
In Australia and New Zealand, they are known as "potato gems", "potato royals" or "potato pom-poms".[ citation needed ] The New Zealand Pizza Hut franchise offers "Hash Bites" as a side dish, available alone or with an aioli dipping sauce.[ citation needed ]
French fries are batonnet or julienne-cut deep-fried potatoes of disputed origin from Belgium or France. They are prepared by cutting potatoes into even strips, drying them, and frying them, usually in a deep fryer. Pre-cut, blanched, and frozen russet potatoes are widely used, and sometimes baked in a regular or convection oven; air fryers are small convection ovens marketed for frying potatoes.
Nachos are a Tex-Mex culinary dish consisting of tortilla chips or totopos covered with cheese or cheese sauce, as well as a variety of other toppings and garnishes, often including meats, vegetables, and condiments such as salsa, guacamole, or sour cream. At its most basic form, nachos may consist of merely chips covered with cheese, and served as an appetizer or snack, while other versions are substantial enough to serve as a main course. The dish was created by, and named after, Mexican restaurateur Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya, who created it in 1943 for American customers at the Victory Club restaurant in Piedras Negras, Coahuila.
Hash is a dish consisting of chopped meat, potatoes, and fried onions. The name is derived from French: hacher, meaning 'to chop'. It originated as a way to use up leftovers. In the U.S. by the 1860s, a cheap restaurant was called a "hash house" or "hashery."
The horseshoe is an open-faced sandwich originating in Springfield, Illinois, United States. It consists of thick-sliced toasted bread, a hamburger patty or other choice of meat, French fries, and cheese sauce.
Cheese fries or cheesy chips is a dish consisting of French fries covered in cheese, with the possible addition of various other toppings. Cheese fries are generally served as a lunch or dinner dish. They can be found in fast-food locations, diners, and grills mainly in English speaking countries.
Korokke is a Japanese deep-fried yōshoku dish originally related to a French dish, the croquette. Korokke is made by mixing cooked chopped meat, seafood, or vegetables with mashed potato or white sauce, usually shaped like a flat patty, rolling it in wheat flour, eggs, and Japanese-style breadcrumbs, then deep-frying this until brown on the outside.
Hash browns, also spelled hashed browns and hashbrowns, are a popular American breakfast food consisting of finely julienned potatoes that have been fried until golden brown. Hash browns are a staple breakfast item at diners in North America, where they are often fried on a large, common cooktop or grill.
A hotdish is a casserole that typically contains a starch, a meat, and a canned or frozen vegetable mixed with canned soup. The dish originates in the Upper Midwest region of the United States, where it remains popular, particularly in Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Montana. Hotdish is cooked in a single baking dish, and served hot. It commonly appears at communal gatherings such as family reunions, potlucks, and church suppers.
Ore-Ida is an American brand of potato-based frozen foods currently produced and distributed by Kraft Heinz's, H.J. Heinz Company Brands LLC. based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
New Mexican cuisine is the cuisine of the Southwestern US state of New Mexico. It is known for its fusion of Pueblo Native American cuisine with Hispano Spanish and Mexican culinary traditions, rooted in the historical region of Nuevo México. This Southwestern culinary style extends it influence beyond the current boundaries of New Mexico, and is found throughout the old territories of Nuevo México and the New Mexico Territory, today the state of Arizona, parts of Texas, and the southern portions of Colorado, Utah, and Nevada.
A side dish, sometimes referred to as a side order, side item, or simply a side, is a food item that accompanies the entrée or main course at a meal.
Potato skins, also sometimes referred to as potato jackets, are a snack food or appetizer made of unpeeled potato halves, hollowed and dressed with bacon, cheddar cheese and green onions before being baked again. They are commonly found on the menus of casual dining restaurants in the United States. While popularly eaten in restaurants and pubs, these snacks are also commonly made at home or can be purchased frozen at grocery stores.
Potato cake is a name given to various shaped potato dishes around the world, including a patty of hashed potatoes, a fried patty of mashed potato, a fried and battered slice of potato, or a flatbread made with mashed potato and flour. In Northern England and some states in Australia, a thin slice of potato that is battered and deep fried may be called a potato scallop. In Australia and New Zealand, the terms potato cake, potato flip and potato fritter may be used.
Mexican street food, called antojitos, is prepared by street vendors and at small traditional markets in Mexico. Street foods include tacos, tamales, gorditas, quesadillas, empalmes, tostadas, chalupa, elote, tlayudas, cemita, pambazo, empanada, nachos, chilaquiles, fajitas, tortas, even hamburgers and hot dogs, as well as fresh fruits, vegetables, beverages and soups such as menudo, pozole and pancita. Most are available in the morning and the evening, as mid-afternoon is the time for the main formal meal of the day. Mexico has one of the most extensive street food cultures in Latin America, and Forbes named Mexico City as one of the foremost cities in the world in which to eat on the street.
Fried potatoes are a dish or a component of other dishes essentially consisting of potatoes which have been fried or deep-fried in hot cooking oil often with the addition of salt and other seasonings. They are often served as a side dish.
Pork rind is the culinary term for the skin of a pig. It can be used in many different ways.
The potato processing industry or potato processing market refers to the sector involved in transforming potatoes into various food products and by-products through different manufacturing processes. This industry plays a crucial role in meeting the global demand for potato-based foods, such as potato chips, french fries, mashed potatoes, and dehydrated potato products. The potato processing industry encompasses various activities, including cleaning, peeling, cutting, blanching, frying, freezing, and packaging. With its significant economic impact and contribution to the food industry, the potato processing industry serves as a vital link between potato growers, manufacturers, and consumers worldwide.
Tater Tots became successful enough that the brand name grew to be synonymous with the product, a delightful dilemma shared with other brands that pioneered a product category, among them Band-Aid, Kleenex, and Xerox.
Tater Tots became successful enough that the brand name grew to be synonymous with the product, a delightful dilemma shared with other brands that pioneered a product category, among them Band-Aid, Kleenex and Xerox.