| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Region | Ontario, Oregon |
| Creator | F. Nephi Grigg, and Golden Grigg[1][2][3] (in 1953) |
| Course | Entrée or side dish, sometimes as part of a main course |
| Main ingredient | Potato |
| Variations | Veggie tots |
| Calories | (serving size: 86 g) 160[4] |
Tater tots are grated potato 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]
History
Tater tots were developed 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] Originally, sales were slow; the family speculated the product was priced too low, so it had no perceived value. When the price was raised, people began buying it. By 1960 Ore-Ida captured 25% of the frozen potato market.[9]
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.[10] "Tater" is short for potato.[11] 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.[12]
Today, Americans consume approximately 70 e6lb of Tater Tots, or 3,710,000,000 Tots per year.[13][14]
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.[15][16]
Usage
Asia
Tater tots, locally known as mat-gamja (Korean: 맛감자), are a common bunsik item in Korea.[17] They are often served in a paper cup, with drizzled sweet gochujang-based sauce.[citation needed]
Europe
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. Birds Eye also have "Hash Brown Potato Bites" in their "Chicken Shop" range.
North America
In Canada, McCain Foods Limited calls its line "Tasti Taters".[18]
In the United States, tater tots are common at school-lunch counters and cafeterias.[14] They are also sold in the frozen food sections of grocery stores.[14] 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.[19]
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]
Oceania
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]
See also
- Dumpling - piece of cooked dough made from a starchy source, often wrapped around a filling
- Potato processing industry
- Potato salad - a salad dish made from boiled potatoes
References
- ^ "Ore-Ida Fun Zone – Fun Facts". Ore-Ida.
- ^ Lukas, Paul (November 1, 2003). "Mr. Potato Head – A Dirt-Poor Farmer Turned Spud Scraps into Gold". CNN Money. Archived from the original on October 9, 2019. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
- ^ "The Francis Nephi ("Neef") Grigg Papers". University of Utah Library Special Collections. Archived from the original on January 26, 2020. Retrieved March 5, 2011.
- ^ "Ore-Ida Tater Tots – Nutrition Facts" Archived August 14, 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "tater". Merriam-Webster. Archived November 13, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
- ^ Elliott, Stuart (August 25, 2014). "Ore-Ida Campaign Focuses on Authenticity of Tater Tots". The New York Times. Archived May 18, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 14, 2016.
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.
- ^ "Ore Ida Extra Crispy Easy Tater Tots Crispy Crowns". Directions for Me. Archived May 15, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ "The United States Patents Quarterly". 1978. Archived May 31, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
- ^ "Tater Tots and Ore-Ida Foods, Co.". www.oregonencyclopedia.org. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ Elliott, Stuart (August 25, 2014). "Ore-Ida Campaign Focuses on Authenticity of Tater Tots". The New York Times. Archived June 12, 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 14, 2016.
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". Merriam-Webster. Archived November 13, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
- ^ McKinney, Kelsey (August 28, 2017). "The Tater Tot Is American Ingenuity at Its Finest". Eater. Archived May 31, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
- ^ "Culinary Corner: The Fries Have It". WSOC-TV. Archived from the original on April 3, 2009. Retrieved February 8, 2009.
- ^ Fast Food and Junk Food: An Encyclopedia of What We Love to Eat: An ... - Andrew F. Smith Archived May 31, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. p. 695.
- ^ Watrous, Monica (June 9, 2016). "B&G Foods unveils Green Giant innovation". Food Business News. Archived February 25, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
- ^ Kimball, Molly (October 18, 2016). "10 nutritious finds on the freezer aisle for healthful home cooking". The Oregonian. Archived February 25, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
- ^ 강병오 (March 22, 2021). "2021 '뉴' 프랜차이즈" (in Korean). Ilyo Sisa. Archived June 12, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- ^ "Tasti Taters®"
- ^ "Jim Parker, beloved Portland publican who invented the totcho, has died". Archived September 14, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 11, 2019.