CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Did you know that jojo potatoes may have originated in Ohio?
At least that is one of dozens of claims about where the spud delicacy rose to popularity in the 1960s, when restaurants in Northeast Ohio began serving them with trademarked Flavor-crisp chicken. Their fame spread across Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, upstate New York, and Minnesota -- though if you grew up in Alabama, Montana, Utah or the Pacific Northwest, they were likely a staple of your childhood diet as well.
Sold at diners and fast-food restaurants, or as a common bar food, jojos are commonly mistaken -- by those not familiar with them -- as french fries. But, fries are fries. These large unpeeled potato wedges are seasoned with a variety of spices -- commonly paprika, salt and pepper. They are then fried in the same vat of oil as their chicken dinner companion, and are a delicious treat.
Not great for your waistline, but oh so irresistible as a dinner side or late-night snack.
cleveland.com’s Best of reporters Yadi Rodriguez and Brenda Cain can attest to the irresistibility of the jojo. When we recently taste-tested fried chicken from eight local grocers’ prepared foods counters, we couldn’t resist walking away from those that offered jojo potatoes as well.
If you love jojos, take a look at our thoughts on who makes the best ones in Northeast Ohio. If you have never had jojos, we suggest you give them a try. You’ll thank us!
No. 5 jojo's, Walmart (Photo by Yadi Rodriguez)
Price per lb.: $2.98
Our thoughts: Most jojos have the shape you would produce at home when cutting potatoes into wedges. But these Wal-Mart jojos have ridges, which sadly appears to grab and hold onto the oil in which they were cooked. The ones we tasted had clearly been sitting under a heat lamp for a while -- since yesterday, maybe? And all you could taste was the “old” oil.
No. 4: Jojo's, Acme Fresh Market (Photo by Yadi Rodriguez)
Price per lb.: $2.99
Our thoughts: These jojos are light and fluffy on the inside, and had a nice spice mixture in the coating, but had no crunch, which we crave. Not bad, but there are better ones out there!
No. 3 Jojo's, Giant Eagle. (Photo by Yadi Rodriguez)
Price per lb.: $3.99
Our thoughts: We found the crunch a jojo should have on these ridged version, but the seasoning offered up more salt than any other flavor and they left a greasy sheen on our fingertips.
No. 2: Jojos, Meijer. (Photo by Yadi Rodriguez)
Price per lb.: $3.99
Our thoughts: These fat potato wedges were nicely seasoned without being overly salty -- and with just the right amount of crunch, which led to a tender potato on the inside.
No. 1: Jojo's, Dave's Markets. (Photo by Yadi Rodriguez)
Price: $1.19 for six
Our thoughts: These are likely what the originators had in mind when they invented the jojo! Big, thick wedges of potato, dredged in a light and well seasoned coating and then fried to perfection: crunchy on the outside and yet tender and fluffy on the inside. Ahhh -- jojo perfection!
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