Hash browns, also spelled hashed browns and hashbrowns, are a popular American breakfast dish consisting of finely julienned potatoes that have been fried until browned. Hash browns are a staple breakfast food at diners 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. 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 (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...