Who was credited as being the originator of potato chips (U.S. English) or crisps (British English)?

Dr William Kitchiner (1775–1827) was an English optician, inventor of telescopes, amateur musician and exceptional cook. His name was a household word during the 19th century, and his 1817 cookbook, “The Cook's Oracle,” was a bestseller in England and the United States. In the United Kingdom, the origin of the crisp is attributed to Kitchiner, with “The Cook's Oracle” including the earliest known recipe.

Early recipes for potato chips in the United States are found in Mary Randolph's “Virginia House-Wife” (1824), and in Mrs N.K.M. Lee's “Cook's Own Book” (1832). Both of these books reference Kitchiner’s earlier publication.

Some decades later, in 1853, a well-known chef of African American and Native American heritage, George Crum of Saratoga Springs, New York, was associated with the creation of potato chips to placate a customer dissatisfied with his French-fried potatoes. Crum’s extremely thinly sliced potatoes, fried to a crisp, became known as "Saratoga Chips" and were widely enjoyed.

Potato chips/crisps form a large part of the snack food and convenience food market in Western countries and increasingly in developing countries. The global potato chips/crisps market size reached US$ 29 billion in 2018 and is projected to reach US$ 35 billion by 2024 - all started in Kitchiner’s kitchen.