Emily Blunt said on Thursday’s “Hot Ones” that she did not invent the roast potatoes now widely labeled “Emily’s Roast Potatoes.”
The recipe traces to a 2018 “Barefoot Contessa” appearance, where Blunt shared a long-standing family method she called a classic English Sunday staple.
Ina Garten later amplified the dish, naming it “Emily’s English Roasted Potatoes” in her 2020 cookbook and saying in 2022 that an Instagram post of the recipe “blew up.”
Blunt said the viral label has drawn side-eye from British friends, though she added she was happy for Garten to keep using her name for the dish.
When a celebrity popularizes a traditional recipe, who truly owns its legacy?
How do algorithms and celebrity chefs turn a simple dish into an internet sensation?
Beyond social media clicks, what is the real economic impact of a viral recipe?