Tots

Tater Tots, a registered trademark of Ore-Ida, are fried slices of potatoes. A tater tot is a side dish made from deep-fried, grated potatoes.^[1] They are widely recognized by their crispness, cylindrical shape, and small size.

The product was created in 1953 when Ore-Ida founders F. Nephi Grigg and Golden Grigg^[1][2][3] were trying to figure out what to do with leftover slivers of cut-up potatoes. They chopped up the slivers, added flour and seasoning, then pushed the mash through holes and sliced off pieces of the extruded mixture.^[1] The product was first offered in stores in 1956.^{[citation needed]}

Originally, the product was very inexpensive. According to advertising lectures at 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.^[5]

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.^[6][7] In some regions, the term “tater” is informally dropped, and the snack is simply called “tots”.