Hash browns, also spelled hashed browns, are a popular American and British breakfast food, consisting of finely chopped

potatoes The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern United ...

that have been fried until browned. Hash browns first started appearing on breakfast menus in New York City in the 1890s. Hash browns are a staple breakfast food at

diner A diner is a small, inexpensive restaurant found across the United States, as well as in Canada and parts of Western Europe. Diners offer a wide range of foods, mostly American cuisine, a casual atmosphere, and, characteristically, a com ...

s in North America, where they are often fried on a large common cooktop or grill. Hash browns are a popular mass-produced product sold in refrigerated, frozen and dehydrated forms.

History

Hash browns first started appearing on breakfast menus in New York City in the 1890s. Hash browns are a staple breakfast food at

s in North America, where they are often fried on a large common cooktop or grill.Slater, Nigel (November 4, 2006)
"Nigel Slater: Making a hash of it"
'' The Guardian''. Originally, the full name of the dish was "hashed brown potatoes" (or "hashed browned potatoes"), of which the first known mention is by American food author

Maria Parloa Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial *170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 *Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, da ...

(1843–1909) in her 1887 ''Kitchen Companion'', where she describes the dish of "hashed and browned potatoes" as a fried mixture of cold boiled potatoes which is folded "like an omelet" before serving. The name was gradually shortened to 'hash brown potatoes'.

Etymology

The word "hash" is derived from the French word "''hacher"'' which means to hack or chop. This means hashed browned potatoes literally translates to "chopped and fried potatoes".

Preparation

Matteos Sandwich Bar, Fitzrovia, London (8025911425)

A chef may prepare hash browns by either grating potato or forming riced potatoes into patties before frying with onions (moisture and potato

starch Starch or amylum is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants for energy storage. Worldwide, it is the most common carbohydrate in human diets ...

can hold them together); however, if a binding agent is added (egg or flour for example), such a preparation constitutes a

potato pancake Potato pancakes are Frying, shallow-fried pancakes of grated or ground potato, matzo meal or flour and a binding ingredient such as Egg as food, egg or applesauce, often flavored with grated garlic or onion and seasoning. They may be topped with ...

. Hash browns are sometimes made into patty form and frozen for ease of handling, and the compact, flat shape can also be cooked in a toaster oven or toaster. For best results, in both cooking and flavor, it is recommended that hash browns be made using starchy potatoes such as

russet potato A russet potato is a type of potato that is large, with dark brown skin and few eyes. The flesh is white, dry, soft, and mealy, and it is suitable for baking, mashing, and french fries. Russet potatoes are also known as Idaho potatoes in the Unit ...

es. If a dish of hash browned potatoes incorporates chopped

meat Meat is animal flesh that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted, farmed, and scavenged animals for meat since prehistoric times. The establishment of settlements in the Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of animals such as chic ...

, leftovers, or other vegetables, it is more commonly referred to as ''

hash Hash, hashes, hash mark, or hashing may refer to: Substances * Hash (food), a coarse mixture of ingredients * Hash, a nickname for hashish, a cannabis product Hash mark *Hash mark (sports), a marking on hockey rinks and gridiron football field ...

''. Hash browns are also manufactured as a

dehydrated food Food drying is a method of food preservation in which food is dried (dehydrated or desiccated). Drying inhibits the growth of bacteria, yeasts, and mold through the removal of water. Dehydration has been used widely for this purpose since a ...

, which is sometimes used by backpackers. In some parts of the United States, ''hash browns'' strictly refer to shredded or riced pan-fried potatoes, while diced and pan-fried potatoes are called country fried potatoes or home fries and are served as a side dish at other meals. Some recipes add diced or chopped onions.

References

External links

United States Standards for Grades of Frozen Hash Brown Potatoes
(PDF) {{Potato dishes Deep fried foods Potato dishes Potato pancakes

History

Etymology

Preparation

See also

References

External links