Tater Tot Mania (2024)

FAQs

Who was the tater tot cat? ›

The internet is mourning Tater Tot, a tiny beloved kitten who was found with four deformed legs and a cleft jaw: 'Tater Tot is a symbol for courage and strength'

Tater tots were invented by F. Nephi Grigg of Ore-Ida in 1953 as a way to use excess potato shavings that came from making frozen french fries. Originally, the shavings were sold as livestock feed. The term “tater tot” is a proprietary name owned by Ore-Ida.

The name "Tater Tot" is a registered trademark of Ore-Ida—which has been a subsidiary of Heinz since 1965—but has become so widely associated with the dish that it is often used as a generic term.

"Potatoes are inexpensive. And they're cheaper for Frito-Lay than for you." The price starts edging up when you factor in transportation, processing, packaging and advertising costs, according to the Alexandria-based Snack Food Association. Not to mention the salt, oil and seasonings.

The viral kitten, known for his messy hair and mismatched colored casts, passed away Wednesday after about a week of various symptoms. His foster mom, Ash Houghton, said his energy had decreased and he was exhibiting signs of pneumonia. Tater Tot was being treated with antibiotics when he passed away.

That might seem like a totally random name for a cat, but it's actually a reference to Ben's deceased wife, Alyssa. It's established in flashbacks that Alyssa not only loved tater tots, but they were her favorite snack, a fact by which Bruce Davis (Danny DeVito) is particularly taken aback.

Tots are short for "tater tots", which are small cylindrical pieces of deep-fried grated potato often served as a side dish or snack. Tots can be a term of endearment used to refer to young children, often toddlers.

The Tater Tot is the brainchild of two Mormon brothers, F. Nephi and Golden Grigg, who started a factory on the Oregon-Idaho border that they appropriately named Ore-Ida. The brothers started the factory in 1951 after being convinced that frozen foods were the next big thing.

In the UK we call these potato croquettes, which comes from the French word croquet, which means to bite or to crunch. We call them tater tots.

A tater tot is different because it's a bunch of little potato pieces mushed into a shotgun shell and THEN fried. It's an aggregation of potato meat, just like a McNugget.

Are tater tots healthy? ›

Warning: There's absolutely nothing healthy or nutritionally redeeming about “tater tots.” They're straight up junk food, loaded with fat and salt. But they're also crispy, salty and simply irresistible — no matter what your age. Ore-Ida's Tater Tots were invented in Oregon in 1953 as a way to use up potato scraps.

The majority of tater tots are vegan, and we're grateful that Sonic's are. These deep-fried potatoes are soft and pillowy. It goes great with any sauce, but we love it best with tangy ketchup. Or, sprinkle them with a packet of salsa and something sweet to drink, like a Cherry Slush.

Air fryer tater tots are a healthy recipe for delicious snacks, side dishes or appetizers that everyone will love. Dust off your air fryer because it's time to make tater tots, the ultimate comfort food that is healthy and delicious. A simple crowd-pleaser recipe for any occasion.

Other Names For Tots:

Some additional names include Spud puppies, tater treats, tater puffs, tater rounds, crispy crowns or gems. But, that's not all! Different countries have even more names for tots! Australia: potato gems, potato royals, potato pom-poms.

One famous account is that a salesman with a ukulele created the term to promote Ore-Ida's new creation. Another story is that a contest took place, and a housewife made the name using tater (slang for potato) and tot (slang for baby), effectively naming the new food potato baby.

The Kitten With the Casts

Little Tater was a bundle of tiny, twisted legs. But when Houghton examined them, she found he had feeling and motion in them, so he wasn't paralyzed.

The orange tabby was part of a milestone in deep-space communication without leaving his couch. Taters, a 3-year-old orange tabby cat, is having his 15 seconds of fame.

Hi! I'm a Highland Lynx who was born w/ Radial Hypoplasia (deformed legs), surrendered to rescue, & adopted by @venustwofacecat & @roothekangaroocat 😽

He is now about 8 yrs old.