Sometimes, the best things in life happen by accident, and this is also true for foods. Many of the iconic foods that we know today were a result of a little slip-up, forgotten ingredient, or someone who got lucky. These 10 foods ended up changing how we eat forever.
10. Slurpees
Yes, we’re talking about the icy treat you’ll find at 7-Eleven, and it was accidentally made by a Dairy Queen owner, Omar Knedlik, in 1950s. At that time, his soda fountain wouldn’t work properly so he put bottles of soda in the freezer to cool them down. Customers loved the partially frozen, slushy sodas and Knedlik went on to create a machine for the slushie. In 1960s, 7-Eleven licensed the invention and created the Slurpee brand.
9. Chocolate Chip Cookies
In 1938, Ruth Wakefied, owner of Toll House Inn and famous for her delicious baking, ran out of baker’s chocolate for her cookies. Instead of giving up, she chopped a Nestlé chocolate bar and mixed the pieces into her cookie batter. She thought they would melt during baking, but what happened was even more amazing. The buttery cookies came out of oven with pockets of gooey chocolate and the rest is history.
8. Ice Cream Cones
The ice cream cone was born during a busy day at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. Ernest Hamwi, a Syrian immigrant selling waffle-like pastries, noticed that an ice cream vendor had run out of serving dishes. Hamwi decided to roll one of his waffles into a cone shape to hold the ice cream. The combination became so popular that other vendors started copying the idea.
7. Nashville Hot Chicken
This national favorite was first served in Nashville to punish a named man Thornton Prince, known for staying out late and breaking promises. Out of revenge, his girlfriend served him a fried chicken with an extremely spicy blend of seasonings for breakfast. Surprisingly, Prince loved the spicy chicken. He even opened a restaurant that served the accidentally created fiery dish.
6. Popsicles
The popsicle was made by a 11-year-old Frank Epperson in 1905, and yup, accidentally. He had mixed himself a homemade soda using powdered soda mix, water, and a wooden stick. He got distracted and left the cup on his porch overnight. The cold weather froze the drink and the next morning, he discovered the frozen treat was delicious. He initially called it “Epsicles,” until his kids coined the term “Popsicles.”
5. Nachos
The creation of nachos was a tasty accident that occurred in 1943 in Piedras Negras, Mexico, just across from Eagle Pass, Texas. A group of U.S. military wives visited the Victory Club restaurant, looking for something to eat. The chef wasn’t there, but the person in charge, Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya, didn’t want to turn the guests away. He then improvised by grabbing some tortilla chips and combining them with melted cheese and sliced jalapeños.
4. Corn Flakes
It all started in 1894, when Dr. John Harvey Kellogg and his brother Will tried to create bland, healthy foods for their patients in a health sanitarium. They left a batch of boiled wheat sitting out too long and it went stale. They ran it through rollers and they turned into flat flakes; they toasted them and they became crispy and tasty! Later on they switched from wheat to corn.
3. Potato Chips
Potato chips were invented by mistake (and a little bit of spite). In 1850s, chef George Crum was working at a fancy restaurant in New York, and a picky guest complained about his fried potatoes being too thick and soggy. Frustrated, Crum sliced the potatoes super thin, fried them until they were crispy, and added extra salt to annoy the guest. The plan surprisingly backfired; the customer loved the chips and other guests started asking for it, too.
2. Coca-Cola
Surprise, surprise: Coca-Cola was meant to be a medicine. In 1886, pharmacist John Pemberton mixed coca leaf extract, kola nuts, and sugar into a syrup to make a tonic that cures headaches and boosts energy. However, his assistant accidentally mixed the syrup with carbonated water instead of a plain one. They still sold the fizzy drink (because it tasted amazing) and it became an instant hit!
1. Nutella
Another tasty accident that made billions is the creation of this world-famous spread. In 1940s, during World War II, cocoa was in short supply, so Italian pastry maker Pietro Ferrero mixed cocoa with ground hazelnuts to stretch what he had and keep making sweet treats. The first version was a thick block that people could slice and spread on bread. His son accidentally discovered that it gets soft and creamy when exposed to warm weather. Later on they refined the formula that is now known as Nutella.