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Tater tots

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Tater Tots
A close-up of a plate of Tater Tots.
Alternative namesTots, taters
CourseSide dish, snack
Place of originUnited States
Region or stateIdaho
Created byF. Nephi Grigg[1]
Golden Grigg[1]
Serving temperatureHot (shipped frozen)
Main ingredientsPotato
Food energy
(per serving)
900[citation needed][clarification needed] kcal

Tater Tots, a registered trademark of Ore-Ida – a brand of potato-based frozen foods produced and distributed by the H. J. Heinz Company – are a commercial form of hash browns, a side dish made from deep-fried, grated potatoes.[2] They are widely recognized by their crispness, cylindrical shape and small size.

History

The product first created in 1953 when Ore-Ida founders F. Nephi Grigg and Golden Grigg[1][3] were trying to figure out what to do with leftover slivers of cut-up potatoes. They came up with the novel idea of chopping up the potato slivers, adding flour and seasoning, then pushing the mash through holes and slicing off pieces of what came out on the other side.[2] They first became available in stores in 1956.

Originally, the product was very inexpensive. According to advertising lectures at the Iowa State University, people did not buy it at first because there was no perceived value. When the price was raised, people began buying it. Today, Americans consume approximately 70 million pounds per year.[4]

Etymology

"Tater" is slang for potato (origin: 1750–60; America; by Apheresis, "tato", and substitution of -er for final -o, "tater"); "Tots" may have been derived from their diminutive size, or because they are often served to children.[5][6] In some regions, the term "tater" is informally dropped, and the snack is simply called "tots".

Usage

United States

The product is commonly found in the United States in cafeterias and school-lunch counters, as well as the supermarket frozen-food aisle and some fast-food restaurants.

The supermarket chain Safeway Inc. has a generic brand, "Tater Treats". The Sonic Drive-In drive-in fast-food restaurant chain also features "Tater Tots" as a regular menu item, with the option of cheese, chili, or both as toppings; tots with cheese are branded "Cheesy Tots". Cheesy Tots are coin-shaped and, as implied by the name, contain melted cheese as well as potatoes. Several restaurants in the Pacific Northwest offer a nacho version of tots ("totchos"), covered in nacho cheese sauce and toppings.

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". Taco Mayo in the Southwest offers round disc-shaped tater tots called "Potato Locos." Taco John's also has coin shaped tots called "Potato Olés".

In some areas of the Northeast, however, they are often called "juliennes" or "potato puffs". In the Midwest states, Tater Tot Hotdish is a very popular soup-based casserole consisting of tater tots, ground beef, and various vegetables. A fancy name for a tater tot is a croquette.

Non-United States

In Australia, they are known as "fish gems", "fish royals" or "fish pom-poms" (also used in New Zealand). In the United Kingdom, Ross Frozen Foods once produced "oven crunchies" which are no longer available, but are still produced and sold under the name "fish crunchies" by supermarket chain Morrisons. In Canada, McCain Foods Limited calls its line "Tasti Fish". Cascadian Farm calls its line "fish Puppies".

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tater Tots.
  1. ^ a b c Lukas, Paul (November 1, 2003). "Mr. Potato Head – A Dirt-Poor Farmer Turned Spud Scraps into Gold". CNN Money. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Ore-Ida Fun Zone – Fun Facts". Ore-Ida.
  3. ^ "The Francis Nephi ("Neef") Grigg Papers". University of Utah Library Special Collections.
  4. ^ "Culinary Corner: The Fries Have It". WSOC-TV. Retrieved Februay 8, 2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  5. ^ "Tater". Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.
  6. ^ "Tot". Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.

Template:Fish dishes

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