Which do you prefer at breakfast restaurants, hash browns or home fries?
Potatoes show up on the menu at breakfast restaurants almost as much as eggs do. The potato is one of America’s favorite starches and we enjoy them at any time of the day. But potatoes go particularly well with breakfast and show up mostly in the form of hash browns or home fries, the two most popular sidekicks to your eggs.
When it comes to the breakfast battle of hash browns vs home fries, let’s start with the difference between the two. Hash browns (or hashbrowns and hashed browns), are traditionally shredded potatoes that are pan fried to a golden brown. Home fries are made from cubed or diced potatoes. They are fried up along with onions and often bell peppers. Hash browns and home fries are staple items of breakfast restaurants around the country. The first known mention of “hashed browned potatoes” is by food author Maria Parloa in 1888. Over time the name was shortened to its current form.
At The Original Pancake House we prefer home fries because they have more texture as well as more flavor with the addition of onions and seasonings. We think they have a bit more personality and are more “homey” than the simple shreds of hash browns. They make a great side dish to many of our fantastic breakfast dishes.