Hash brown
Encyclopedia
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
preparation in which potato pieces are pan-fried
Pan frying
Pan frying is a form of frying characterized by the use of minimal cooking oil or fat ; typically using just enough oil to lubricate the pan...
after being shredded, julienned, diced
Dicing
Dicing is a culinary knife cut in which the food item is cut into small blocks or dice. This may be done for aesthetic reasons or to create uniformly sized pieces to ensure even cooking...
, or riced
Rice (cooking)
Ricing is a cooking term meaning to pass food through a food mill or "ricer", which comes in several forms. In the most basic, food is pushed or pressured through a metal or plastic plate with many small holes, producing a smoother result than mashing, but coarser than pureeing or passing through a...
. In some cultures, hash browns or hashed browns can refer to any of these preparations, while in others it may refer to one specific preparation. In parts of the UK, hash browns can mean fried left over mashed potato. Hash browns are a staple breakfast food at diner
Diner
A diner, also spelled dinor in western Pennsylvania is a prefabricated restaurant building characteristic of North America, especially in the Midwest, in New York City, in Pennsylvania and in New Jersey, and in other areas of the Northeastern United States, although examples can be found throughout...
s in North America, where they are often fried on a large common cooktop or griddle. Often they are pressed with a potato ricer
Potato ricer
A potato ricer is a kitchen implement used to process potatoes by forcing it through small holes, which are often not much wider than a grain of rice. Mashed potatoes is a food commonly made using this utensil. In technical terms, it works by a process of extrusion. A potato ricer can also be used...
to remove moisture and to give a crisper texture. They are commonly served with breakfast or as a side dish with steaks.
In some parts of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, hash browns strictly refer to shredded or riced, pan-fried potatoes, and are considered a breakfast food, while potatoes diced
Dicing
Dicing is a culinary knife cut in which the food item is cut into small blocks or dice. This may be done for aesthetic reasons or to create uniformly sized pieces to ensure even cooking...
or cubed and pan-fried are also a side dish
Side dish
A side dish, sometimes referred to as a side order or simply a side, is a food item that accompanies the entrée or main course at a meal.-Common types:...
called country fried potatoes or home fries
Home fries
Home fries, house fries, or cottage fries are a type of basic potato dish made by pan or skillet frying diced, chunked, wedged or sliced potatoes that have been par-cooked by boiling, baking, steaming, or microwaving....
(though many variations of home fries are par-cooked before frying).
Preparation
A chef may prepare hash browns by forming diced potatoes into patties before frying (moisture and potato starchPotato starch
Potato starch is starch extracted from potatoes. The cells of the root tubers of the potato plant contain starch grains . To extract the starch, the potatoes are crushed; the starch grains are released from the destroyed cells...
can hold them together); however, if a binding agent is added (egg
Egg (food)
Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have probably been eaten by mankind for millennia. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen , and vitellus , contained within various thin membranes...
for example), such a preparation constitutes a potato pancake
Potato pancakes
Potato pancakes are shallow-fried pancakes of grated or ground potato, flour and egg, often flavored with grated onion or garlic and seasoning. Potato pancakes may be topped with a variety of condiments, ranging from the savory to the sweet , or they may be served ungarnished...
. Frozen hash browns are sometimes made into patty form for ease of handling, the compact flat shape can also be cooked in a toaster oven or toaster.
A variation to the shredded or riced potatoes is sliced potato version of the hash brown often called “American Fries” or "American Hash Browns", they can be pan-fried potatoes or deep fried. Usually they are about three times as thick as that of the modern day potato chip
Potato chip
Potato chips are thin slices of potato that are deep fried...
.
History
According to the Idaho Potato CommissionIdaho Potato Commission
The Idaho Potato Commission is a self governing agency of the State of Idaho that was established in 1937 as the Idaho Fruit and Vegetable Advertising Commission. It has many responsibilities, but its primary responsibility is to promote the Idaho potato through advertising, public relations,...
, hash browns may have developed out of rösti
Rösti
Rösti is a Swiss dish consisting mainly of potatoes. It was originally a common breakfast eaten by farmers in the canton of Bern, but today is eaten all over Switzerland and also in many restaurants in the Western World. Many Swiss people consider rösti a national dish...
, the Swiss farmer's breakfast dish.
Originally, the full name was 'hashed brown potatoes' (or 'hashed browned potatoes'), of which the first known mention is by food author Maria Parloa (1843–1909) in 1888. The name was gradually shortened to 'hash brown potatoes' until the most common name had become simply 'hash browns' around 1970. If a dish of hash browned potatoes incorporates chopped meat
Meat
Meat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...
, leftovers, or other vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
s it is more commonly referred to as hash
Hash (food)
Hash is a dish consisting of meat, potatoes, and spices, that are mashed together into a smooth, creamy consistency, and then cooked either alone or with other ingredients such as onions....
.
Tater Tots
Tater Tots
Tater Tots, a registered trademark for a commercial form of hash browns made by Ore-Ida, are a side-dish made from deep-fried, grated taters. Tater Tots are widely recognized by their crispness, cylindrical shape and small size....
, one of the first known commercially produced hash browns, were created by Ore-Ida Potato Products
Ore-Ida
Ore-Ida is a brand of potato-based frozen foods currently produced and distributed by the H. J. Heinz Company. Ore-Ida's primary production facility is located in Ontario, Oregon, and the company employs over 1,000 local residents...
in 1953.
See also
- Home friesHome friesHome fries, house fries, or cottage fries are a type of basic potato dish made by pan or skillet frying diced, chunked, wedged or sliced potatoes that have been par-cooked by boiling, baking, steaming, or microwaving....
a basic potato preparation - RöstiRöstiRösti is a Swiss dish consisting mainly of potatoes. It was originally a common breakfast eaten by farmers in the canton of Bern, but today is eaten all over Switzerland and also in many restaurants in the Western World. Many Swiss people consider rösti a national dish...
the Swiss shredded potato dish, traditionally eaten for breakfast - Potato pancakesPotato pancakesPotato pancakes are shallow-fried pancakes of grated or ground potato, flour and egg, often flavored with grated onion or garlic and seasoning. Potato pancakes may be topped with a variety of condiments, ranging from the savory to the sweet , or they may be served ungarnished...
the potato and egg dish, often with a pancake like shape - Potatoes O'BrienPotatoes O'BrienPotatoes O'Brien is a dish of pan fried potatoes along with green and red bell peppers. The potatoes and the bell peppers are fried and are served hot...
the potatoes with bell peppers dish - Tater TotsTater TotsTater Tots, a registered trademark for a commercial form of hash browns made by Ore-Ida, are a side-dish made from deep-fried, grated taters. Tater Tots are widely recognized by their crispness, cylindrical shape and small size....
a trademark for a form of small shredded potato cylinders - Potato wafflePotato wafflePotato waffles are a potato based savoury food in a waffle like lattice shape. They are common in the UK and Ireland and are also available in some other countries....
the waffle shaped frozen potato cake in the UK and Ireland - Hash (food)Hash (food)Hash is a dish consisting of meat, potatoes, and spices, that are mashed together into a smooth, creamy consistency, and then cooked either alone or with other ingredients such as onions....
the potatoes and leftovers dish - Rappie pieRappie pieRappie pie is a traditional Acadian meal, sometimes referred to as "rapure pie" or "rapûre". Its name is derived from the French "patates râpées" meaning "grated potatoes." It is a casserole-like dish formed by boiling and grating potatoes, adding hot broth made from chicken, pork or seafood along...
the French-North American casserole made with shredded potatoes - BoxtyBoxtyBoxty is a traditional Irish potato pancake. The dish is mostly associated with the north midlands, north Connacht and southern Ulster, in particular the counties of Mayo, Sligo, Donegal , Fermanagh, Longford, Leitrim and Cavan...
the Irish potato dish - CroquetteCroquetteA croquette is a small fried food roll containing, usually as main ingredients, mashed potatoes, and/or ground meat , shellfish, fish, vegetables, and soaked white bread, egg, onion, spices and herbs, wine, milk, beer or any of the combination thereof, sometimes with a filling, often encased in...
small fried food item, may contain potatoes - Waffle HouseWaffle HouseWaffle House is a restaurant chain with over 1600 locations found in 25 states in the United States. Most of the locations are in the Southern United States, where the chain remains a regional cultural icon...
an American diner chain - Aloo tikkiAloo TikkiAloo tikki is a North Indian snack made of boiled potatoes and various spices. "Aloo" means potato, and the word "tikki" means a small cutlet or croquette. It is found in almost every chaat shop or stall all over Delhi majorly and even other parts of India...
the North Indian potato snack - Deruny