Jo Jo Potatoes (JoJo Potatoes)

“Jo Jo potatoes” (or “Jo-Jo potatoes” or “JoJo potatoes” or “JoJos,” also lower-case “jojos”) are potato wedges. They are large unpeeled wedges of potatoes cut lengthwise, baked or fried, and seasoned with salt, pepper and spices. The name “JoJo potatoes” has been cited in print since at least April 1962.
 
The 1960s restaurants that served JoJo potatoes also usually served Flavor-Crisp chicken. Flavor-Crisp has been trademarked from 1960 for “Deep Fat Pressure Cookers and Fryers Intended Primarily for Commercial Use.” The same pressure fryers (originally trademarked as “broasters” in the 1950s) made JoJo potatoes easier to make commercially. The origin of the name “Jo Jo” is explained in a January 8, 2011 e-mail from Flavor-Crisp (see below).
 
Shakey’s pizza restaurants have served “mojo potatoes” (trademarked with a first use date of 1960), but printed citations of “mojo potatoes” date from 1970.
   
 
Wikipedia: Potato wedges
Potato wedges, also called jojos, are a variation of french fries. As its name suggests, they are large, often unpeeled wedges of potatoes that are either baked or fried.
 
They may be seasoned with salt, pepper and spices prior to cooking, to give a crispy flavored ‘skin’.
 
Potato wedges are popular snack foods in pubs and bars, typically served with condiments such as sour cream, sweet chilli sauce, brown sauce and ketchup. Other condiments that may be eaten with potato wedges include barbecue sauce, mayonnaise, ranch dressing and gravy. Potato wedges may also be served alongside roast meats. They are served at most KFC restaurants as an optional side dish.
 
In some regions of the United States, potato wedges are known as jojos. This term originated in Ohio and is also used in the Pacific Northwest, Iowa, Minnesota, Texas,and other areas. Jojos are potato wedges fried in the same vat as chicken and usually eaten plain alongside fried chicken, cole slaw, and baked beans. A variation in spelling and pronunciation is mojos, particularly in Western Canada, the Western United States and Canada’s Yukon. Shakey’s serves mojo’s as well.
 
In Germany, they are known as Kartoffelspalten or Wilde Kartoffeln (wild potatoes).
 
Wikipedia: Broasting
Broasting is a trademark applied to a method of cooking chicken and other foods using a pressure fryer and condiments. The technique was invented by L.A.M. Phelan in the early 1950s and is marketed by the Broaster Company of Beloit, Wisconsin, which Phelan founded.
 
Broasting equipment and ingredients are marketed only to food service and institutional customers, including supermarkets and fast food restaurants. They are not available to the general public. The method essentially combines pressure cooking with deep frying chicken that has been marinated and breaded. The resulting chicken is said to be crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, i.e., like traditional fried chicken but less greasy. Another advantage of broasting over deep-frying is that large quantities of chicken can be prepared more quickly, 12–13 minutes instead of 20.
 
The company licenses the “broasted” trademark to more than 5,000 purchasers of its equipment who follow its specifications and recipes and undertake a periodic certification process. The arrangement is not a traditional franchise in that the licensee does not owe ongoing royalty payments.
 
Many modern fried chicken chains such as KFC use a comparable method but use different recipes or equipment from one of several alternate suppliers. These may be colloquially called “broasted” but the term is technically incorrect when applied to chicken that is not made under license. Other companies use more conventional deep fryers.
     
Newspapers.com
20 April 1962, Tooele (UT) Transcript, pg. 7, col. 4 ad:
Delicious Flavor Crisp Chicken
With
Jo Jo Potatoes
(Midtown Cafe in Grantsville.—ed.)
   
22 April 1962, Salt Lake Tribune (Salt Lake City, UT),  pg. 10B, col. 1:
Complete Dinner for 5
Includes 15 pieces of chicken, rolls, JoJo potatoes and honey-butter. $2.75
LUIGI’S RESTAURANT
 
Newspapers.com
30 June 1962, East Liverpool (OH) Review, pg. 5, col. 1 ad:
NEW, Flavor Crisp Golden
1/2 FRIED CHICKEN
And New
JO-JO POTATOES
(Kennedy’s Restaurant.—ed.)
     
Google News Archive
29 November 1962, Prescott (AZ) Evening Courier, pg. C5, col. 5 ad:
BURGER QUEEN
1101 E. Gurley St. Prescott
FLAVOR CRISP PRESSURE
FRIED CHICKEN
3 LARGE PIECES, JO-JO POTATOES
HOMEMADE BREAD and HONEY
99c
 
22 February 1963, Winona (MN) Daily News, pg. 4, col. 6:
FLAVOR-CRISP CHICKEN
JUICY, TENDER, DELICIOUS
IT’S PRESSUDE FRIED
Includes jo-jo potatoes, salad and assorted bread basket
THE MISSISSIPPIAN
Buffalo City, WIs.
 
14 May 1963, Mason City (IA) Globe-Gazette, pg. 12, col. 6:
FLAVOR-CRISP CHICKEN
with
JO-JO POTATOES
(Flame and Ember Supper Club—ed.)
 
17 June 1963, Monroe County News (Albion, IA), pg. 2, col. 1 ad:
Try
FLAVOR-CRISP CHICKEN
PRESSURE FRIED
Includes chicken, cole slaw, Jo Jo potatoes, and roll
Carol’s A&W
 
Google News Archive
1 September 1963, Miami (FL) News, “Dateline Miami” by Herb Rau, Amusements and Travel, pg. 2, col. 1:
Along with chicken and seafood dinners, and something called Jo-Jo potatoes, whatever they are.
 
Google News Archive
24 June 1964, Toledo (OH) Blade, pg. ?, col. 6 ad:
Jo-Jo Potatoes
(Globe Motel—ed.)
 
Google News Archive
23 September 1966, Tri City Herald (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland, WA), pg. 7, col. 1 ad:
“Flavor-Crisp Chicken Basket”
includes 3 Pieces of Chicken, Jo-Jo Spuds, Cole Slaw, Sour Cream, Toasted Bun.
(Joey’s Drive-In—ed.)
 
1 April 1967, Elyria (OH) Chronicle-Telegram, pg. 12?, col. 7 ad:
Angelina’s now offers
pressure fried chicken
(...)
This chicken, along with Jo-Jo potatoes, which are baking potatoes quartered and pressure cooked with the (Col. 8—ed.) chicken, makes a ready-to-eat meal.
   
Google News Archive
22 July 1967, Reading (PA) Eagle, pg. 8, col. 4 ad:
DIXIE SPECIAL DINNER
3 Pieces of Flavor Crisp Chicken, Jo-Jo Potatoes, CLoe Slaw, Rill
$1.25
(Dixie Take-Out Food—ed.)
 
Google News Archive
23 November 1967, Val d’Or (Quebec) Star, pg. 3, col. 3 ad:
Jo-Jo Potatoes
(Captain Tomkins Northern Fried Chicken—ed.)
 
15 April 1968, Monroe County News (Albion, IA), pg. 3?, cols. 6-8:
Carol’s A & W DRIVE-IN
Jo Jo Potatoes…30c
 
Google News Archive
19 April 1969, Nashua (NH) Telegraph, pg. 10, col. 2 ad:
Chicken ‘N’ Chips
16 Ferry St,—Hudson, N.H.
JO-JO POTATOES
“TASTE THE DIFFERENCE”
6 pcs. serves 1 or 2 ... 30c
12 pcs. serves 3 or 4 ...60c
18 pcs. serves 5 or 6 ... 90c
Our Luscious Jo-Jo Potatoes
Whole hand-selected premium sized No. 8 Idaho Baking Potatoes serrated wedges, marinated an coated with Seasoning and then Pressure Fried. Tastes like baked potatoes—with a delicious crust—easy to eat.
 
Google News Archive
1 May 1969, Washington (PA) Observer-Reporter, pg. A11, col. 4 ad:
Jo Jo Potatoes
(Kitty’s Restaurant—ed.)
 
30 July 1970, The Star-News (Chula Vista, CA), pg. B-12, col. 5:
... chicken and mo-jo potatoes, and you’ve really got a meal.
(Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, 825 Broadway, Chula Vista.—ed.)
 
25 September 1970, Sheboygan (WI) Press, pg. 3, col. 4:
21-piece BARREL with 12 Jo-Jo potatoes, served 7-10 persons
HERZIGER’S
Restaurant
1213 Superior Ave.
 
9 May 1990, Colorado Springs (CO) Gazette Telegraph, food column by Marcia O. Burg, pg. D3:
DEAR MARCIA: Can you provide me with a recipe for Jo-Jo potatoes, which I tasted in Springfield, Mo.? —Mary Browning, Colorado Springs
The last time we published a method for making these crispy browned wedges—Sept. 28, 1988—I understood the dish was a Seattle Wash., specialty. Apparently it’s gone national!
 
JO-JO POTATOES
6 large unpeeled baking potatoes, thoroughly scrubbed
Salad oil
Garlic salt, paprika and/or other herbs or herb mixtures (no monosodium glutamate)
 
Halve potatoes lengthwise, then cut each half in 4 wedges. Parboil 5 minutes; drain well, and brush cut surfaces lightly with oil. Sprinkle with seasonings and bake in preheated 350-degree oven till tender, golden brown and crisp.
Serve hot as a snack or side dish.
 
Oregon Coast TODAY (September 25, 2009)
A fry with MoJo
By NIKI PRICE
(...)
We found that, at least in western Oregon, jo jos must be thick potato wedges, a) cut lengthwise, and b) covered with a light seasoned breading and c) served with ranch dressing or, if you must, ketchup. Jo jos are much bigger than French fries and usually bigger than steak fries, and unlike either, are cooked with their scrubbed skins on.
 
And, while some places sell jo jos that have been baked, deep fried or otherwise cooked, the best have been prepared in a pressure fryer. It’s a method that was popularized in the 1950s by the Broaster Company of Beloit, Wis. The company makes the official Broaster machine and patented marinade, as well as the rights to use the word “broasted,” which was trademarked in 1954.
 
But there are no licensed Broasters on the Oregon coast. What is commonly called “broasting” is still practiced, with pressure fryers made by a variety of companies, including Henny Penny. In these units, raw potatoes are submerged in hot cooking oil, which is then sealed with a pressure-lock lid, for 10 to 15 minutes.
 
According to most sources, the pressure keeps moisture in and oil on the surface, giving chicken, potatoes or any other food a crunchy exterior with less grease and fewer calories.
 
(E-mail of January 8, 2011)
Barry, I actually do know how the name came about. Back in the early 60’s Ballantyne of Omaha, Inc. owned a product line of restaurant equipment and breading it called Flavor-Crisp. Some of their salesmen were at the National Restaurant Association (NRA) show in Chicago. They would fry chicken and fish to hand out to potential customers of their equipment. In between frying the chicken and fish they would put potatoes in the fryer to cleanse the flavor in the oil. They always threw the potatoes out and simply called them junk potatoes. At this show, after pulling the potatoes out someone placed the potatoes on the counter by the free chicken. And, wouldn’t you know, people started eating them. As long as it’s free they’ll eat it. Someone asked one of the salesmen at the show “what do you call these potatoes?” He didn’t want to say junk or garbage potatoes so on the spot he blurted out JoJo’s. The salesmen thought if they like them plain I wonder what they would taste like if we breaded them. They did and it was a hit. They also found out that if you quartered a Russet potato you could cook it with the chicken and they would be done at the same time giving you the outside texture of a french fry and the inside texture of a baked potato. This is probably more then you wanted to know but now you have the scoop. I currently own the Flavor-Crisp line of breading. If you would like to try some for your own JoJo’s send me your address and I’ll send you some sample packs.
 
Brad French
Flavor-Crisp, Inc
     
(Trademark)
Word Mark FLAVOR-CRISP
Goods and Services (CANCELLED) IC 011. US 034. G & S: Deep Fat Pressure Cookers and Fryers Intended Primarily for Commercial Use. FIRST USE: 19600426. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19600426
Mark Drawing Code (1) TYPED DRAWING
Serial Number 72108740
Filing Date November 21, 1960
Current Filing Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Registration Number 0768427
Registration Date April 21, 1964
Owner (REGISTRANT) BALLANTYNE COMPANY, THE CORPORATION NEBRASKA OMAHA NEBRASKA
(LAST LISTED OWNER) Ballantyne of Omaha, Inc. CORPORATION DELAWARE Omaha NEBRASKA
Assignment Recorded ASSIGNMENT RECORDED
Type of Mark TRADEMARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Affidavit Text SECT 15.
Renewal 1ST RENEWAL 19840421
Live/Dead Indicator DEAD
Cancellation Date January 22, 2005
 
(Trademark)
Word Mark MOJO POTATOES
Goods and Services (ABANDONED) IC 029. US 100. G & S: processed patatoes for comsumption on or off the premises of pizza restaurant. FIRST USE: 19600000. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19600000
Mark Drawing Code (1) TYPED DRAWING
Serial Number 74055562
Filing Date May 3, 1990
Current Filing Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Owner (APPLICANT) Shakey’s Incorporated CORPORATION DELAWARE Suite 1200 651 Gateway Blvd. South San Francisco CALIFORNIA 94080
Attorney of Record Kenneth R. Glaser
Prior Registrations 1541973
Disclaimer NO CLAIM IS MADE TO THE EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO USE “POTATOES” APART FROM THE MARK AS SHOWN
Type of Mark SERVICE MARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator DEAD
Abandonment Date May 14, 1992