It’s often said that necessity is the mother of invention. However, when you consider how some of our favourite foods came to be – mozzarella, crisps and chocolate brownies, for example – you might conclude that curiosity, clumsiness and error come together to create the best formula. Here we reveal the most delicious products and dishes that nearly didn’t happen, from a classic 20th-century hot chicken recipe to a sweet snack that's thousands of years old.

Click or scroll through our gallery to discover 39 popular foods and drinks that were invented by accident – counting down to the tastiest of them all.

We’ve based our ranking on the enduring popularity of each food in its place of origin and beyond, and on the opinions of our well-travelled (and well-fed) team. The list is unavoidably subjective.