- Potato chips are a universal snack food and are therefore very easy to identify. They are thin slices of crispy potatoes that are individual of each other and most often sold in bags. Some restaurants sell potato chips that are connected to one another, that look like a spring. They are all generally dark around the edges and are always crispy all the way through.
- Potato chips are what the snack is called mainly in the United States. In other parts of the world, the word chip is used in reference to a French fry. Some examples of this are in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In these and other countries nearby, potato chips are actually referred to as crisps, though there is no difference in how they are made.
- Potato chips have been around for a long time, though the exact date of their invention is unknown. In the 1824 book "The Virginia House-wife" a recipe is given for potato chips, though that name is not used. Potato chips as we know them today were not readily distributed and consumed until around 1910. In the 1950's, potato chips were able to be seasoned, which led to the variety of flavors available today.
- Potato chips come in many different varieties and flavors. The oldest type of potato chip is plan with salt added in the bag after they are cooked. These are called "salt and shake" chips. Other chips are flavored with seasonings or artificial flavoring. Some of the most popular types are sour cream and onion, barbecue, salt and vinegar, and ranch.
- The potato chip industry is one of the largest in the world savory snack market. Nearly 36 percent of all the money made from this market comes from potato chips. In 2005, potato chips were estimated to have brought in nearly $16.4 billion in sales, making them a very significant food type.
