Tater Tots

Tater Tots are a common side dish with consistency of a hash brown made from shreds of potato. They are shaped like cylinders and are fried until crisp.

Fast Facts

1. Invented: 1953
2. Creators: Golden and Nephi Grigg of Ore-Ida
3. Typical potatoes used are Russet Burbank's, Shepody, and Ranger Potatoes
4. Also called "Tots"
5. Called "potato gems" in Australia

Are You Gonna Eat Your Tots?

Tater Tots are best known for being found in U.S. school cafeterias as part of everyday lunch. They can be found in the frozen food section at supermarkets and are available at some fast food restaurants. Tater Tots were created in 1953 by the Ore-Ida company. They were made as a way to use the leftover shreds from making French Fries.

In the movie Napoleon Dynamite, Napoleon asks his friend Pedro is he is going to eat his "tots" while having lunch at school. When Pedro says no, Napoleon puts them in his pocket. Later in class, Napoleon takes them out and begins snacking. When he refuses to give some to a classmate, the fellow student kicks Napoleon's pocket, smashing the tots.

Categories