Written by: Purnam Jobanputra
Edited by: Liam Statham
Designed by: Rashiqa Ali
Published by: Rayna Almas
Have you ever messed up in the kitchen and hoped that no one would notice? Well, believe it or not, some of our favourite foods weren’t created in fancy kitchens, but were invented by complete accident. From sizzling coke to crispy potato chips, here are the top 10 foods that were invented by complete accident – and became global favourites.
Dippin’ Dots
The multimillion-dollar business, Dippin’ Dots, is another example of an accident in the kitchen. Curt Jones, a cryogenics specialist, used to flash-freeze cattle feed at 350°F (-212C °C). However, one day he got the idea of doing the same with ice cream, creating the signature melt-in-your-mouth dots. After that discovery, he started his company from his parents’ garage and expanded exponentially to become a multimillion-dollar business!
Chocolate chip cookies
The chocolate chip cookie is a classic American treat. Ruth Weatherfield, owner of the Toll House Inn, invented it. She was making chocolate cookies when she ran out of baker’s chocolate. She used Nestle chocolate bars instead, breaking them into chunks and mixing them into the batter. She hoped the chocolate would melt during baking. However it stayed in chunks, creating the chocolate chip cookie.
Popsicles
Believe it or not, beloved popsicles were invented by an 11-year-old! Back in 1905, Frank Epperson decided to mix a sugary soda powder and left it out overnight by mistake. Due to the temperature being really cold that night, the substance froze. In the morning, when he tasted it, he loved it and called it an “Epsicle”. In 1924, the popsicle was patented by him and is now a kid-favourite treat.
Ice Cream Cones
The ice cream cone was invented by accident at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri. When an ice cream vendor at the fair ran out of cups to serve his ice cream, a waffle maker named Ernest Hamwi rolled a waffle into a cone-like shape and handed it to the ice cream vendor – creating the first edible container for ice cream. People loved this concept, and soon it became a worldwide hit – all thanks to a quick fix at a fair.
Nashville Hot Chicken
Believe it or not, the famous Nashville Hot Chicken was invented due to a dispute between a couple. In the 1930s, Thornton Prince’s girlfriend served Prince a plate of fried chicken in hot peppers, hoping it would teach him a lesson. However, her plan didn’t work out, and instead, Prince loved the chicken. Eventually, he shared the recipe with his family and friends and opened a restaurant serving what is now known as Nashville Hot Chicken.
Chimichangas
Chimichangas have had a complicated past as many restaurants have made the claim that they were the ones that invented it. However, one of the most popular theories is that a Chimichanga was first invented in El Charro Cafe, Arizona when a burrito was accidentally dropped into a deep fryer. During this accident, the owner of the restaurant shouted “Chimichanga”, leading to the birth of this iconic dish.
Worcestershire Sauce
Almost every household in America has a bottle of Worcestershire sauce with them. However, it was created when two chemists, John Lea and William Perrins asked one of the former British governors of India to recreate the sauce they had tasted there. They tried to recreate it, however the taste and smell of it were terrible, causing them to store the leftover sauce in a cellar. A couple years later when they found it again, the sauce had fermented and matured, leading to it tasting great and being sold locally. Slowly, it became one of the most popular sauces in the world.
Potato Chips
Chef George Crum at Moon’s Lake House in New York accidentally invented potato chips back in 1853. He got a complaint from a customer that their fries were not crispy enough. To deal with this, Chef Crum sliced the potatoes really thin, fried them in oil, and seasoned them with salt, inventing Saratoga Chips(or now called potato chips)
Coke
Believe it or not, but even Coca-Cola was invented by accident. In 1886, a pharmacist from Georgia called Dr. John Stith Pemberton invented coke. He was trying to create a non-opium painkiller and hence was experimenting with coca and cola extracts. His initial invention, Pemberton’s French Wine Coca, became very popular and was an alcoholic “brain tonic”. However, after alcohol was banned, he removed the wine and accidentally mixed the syrup with carbonated water, leading to the creation of the drink which we now call Coca-Cola.
Yogurt 
Yogurt has been around since the 6th Century BC, and its discovery story is really interesting. According to historians, Asian men stored goat’s milk in containers made from an animal’s stomach; however, when they opened it again, they saw the milk was much thicker and had grown tart. This was due to the bacteria that bloomed in the stomach bags, leading to the invention of yogurt.
Sources:
https://farmflavor.com/lifestyle/food-for-thought/10-famous-foods-that-were-invented-by-accident/
https://greatbigstory.com/dippin-dots-read/
https://juicybirds.ca/the-fiery-tale-of-nashville-hot-chicken/