• The History of Tortilla Chips in the United States

    Date: 2010.05.05 | Category: Uncategorized | Tags: ,,

    People in the U.S. have long been fans of tortilla chips. They’re offered at just about any restaurant and found in every grocery store. The popularity of tortilla chips has caused a surge in the production of these snacks, including a number of unusual varieties and flavors. Tortilla chips, which are often paired with salsa, have become the popular dipping chip of choice.

    Tortillas were eventually transformed into tortilla chips in Mexico, though the use was not widespread. This popular snack first made its way into American. kitchens and restaurants of the southwest sometime during the early 1900s. However, tortilla chips first become popular in the U.S. because of a creative restaurant owner living in L.A. In the late 1940s, Rebecca Webb Carranza decided to use the misshapen tortillas from her tortilla factory to create crunchy chips. They were fried and sold for a dime a bag at her Los Angeles Mexican delicatessen. Other companies caught on to the popularity of these chips and began mass-producing them and selling them all over California. By the time the 70s rolled around, tortilla chips had become popular all over the country. Carranza’s contribution to the Mexican food industry earned her a prize in 1994, which came in the shape of a Golden Tortilla.

    Tortilla chips were so popular from the start that they eventually surpassed corn chips as the chip of choice in the United States. Today, these chips are often paired with salsa and have become a staple for dipping dishes. Guacamole and chili con queso have also become popular dipping options due to their Mexican flavors that call to mind the origin of the chips. Other dips like spinach-artichoke and hummus have become increasingly popular for pairing with tortilla chips, however.

    Many producers of tortilla chips have expanded their product lines in response to the chip’s popularity. Tortilla chips are now available in many different delicious varieties of flavored tortilla chips, such as multi-grain, tomato cilantro, yellow corn and barbecue. Certain foods and dips go especially will with these flavored varieties of tortilla chips, which also make a great snack by themselves. Many tortilla chip lovers also enjoy the different colored chips, such as blue, red and black tortilla chips. The difference with these chips is simply the color of the corn used in production, but they add a touch of color when serving tortilla chips with a dish.