Tortilla chips
Fried or baked corn snack from Mexican cuisine, with disputed origins of large-scale production.
A tortilla chip begins as a corn tortilla—made from nixtamalized corn, vegetable oil, salt, and water—which is cut into triangles and then fried or baked. Alternatively, discs can be pressed directly from corn masa and cooked the same way. While the snack has roots in Mexican cuisine, where similar items like totopos and tostadas were already familiar, the first large-scale commercial production in the United States is often credited to Los Angeles during the late 1940s, though earlier operations like the Tamalina Tortilla Factory in San Antonio also produced fried tortilla chips, making the exact origin disputed.
Yellow corn is the most common base, but white, blue, or red corn are also used. Chips meant for dipping usually get just a light sprinkle of salt, while others come in a range of seasoned flavors. They can also appear as a garnish for soups or dishes like chili con carne.
The triangular shape was popularized in the 1940s by Rebecca Webb Carranza, who used rejected misshapen tortillas from her family’s automated tortilla machine at their Los Angeles delicatessen and tortilla factory. She cut the discards into triangles, fried them, and sold them for a dime a bag at the El Zarape Tortilla Factory. In 1994, she received the Golden Tortilla award for her contribution to the Mexican food industry. However, it is not definitively established that her chips were the first large-scale commercial production, as other companies (e.g., Tamalina Tortilla Factory in San Antonio) also produced fried tortilla chips earlier. Earlier, in 1943, Ignacio Anaya had used fried tortilla triangles to create nachos.
Tortilla chips are a common appetizer in Tex-Mex and Mexican restaurants across the U.S. and beyond. Their popularity outside California grew steadily in the late 1970s, as they began to rival corn chips, which had been the go-to dipping chip for most of the 20th century. They are typically served with dips like salsa, chile con queso, or guacamole. When not paired with a dip, they are often seasoned with herbs and spices. Though now available worldwide, the United States remains a major market. Commercial brands include Tostitos, Doritos, Phileas Fogg snacks, and Don Tacos (in Japan).
A more elaborate dish using tortilla chips is nachos, invented in 1943 by restaurateur Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya in Piedras Negras, Mexico.
Quick Facts
- Country
- Mexico
- Main Ingredient
- Tortillas (corn, vegetable oil, salt, water)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Ignacio Anaya used triangles of fried tortilla for the nachos he created in 1943. The triangle-shaped tortilla chip was popularized by Rebecca Webb Carranza in the 1940s as a way to make use of misshapen tortillas rejected from the automated tortilla manufacturing machine that she and her husband used at their Mexican delicatessen and tortilla factory in southwest Los Angeles. Carranza found that the discarded tortillas, cut into triangles and fried, were a popular snack, and she sold them for a dime a bag at the El Zarape Tortilla Factory. In 1994, Carranza received the Golden Tortilla award for her contribution to the Mexican food industry. However, it is disputed that her chips were the first large-scale commercial production, as other companies (e.g., Tamalina Tortilla Factory in San Antonio) also produced fried tortilla chips earlier, and the claim is not definitively established.
Reader's Guide
Tortilla chips are a popular appetizer in Tex-Mex and Mexican restaurants in the U.S. and elsewhere. Their popularity outside of California saw a steady rise in the late 1970s when they began to compete with corn chips, the dipping chip of choice during the first three quarters of the 20th century. Tortilla chips are typically served with a dip, such as salsa, chile con queso, or guacamole. When not served with a dip, the chips are often seasoned with herbs and spices. Although they are now available worldwide, the United States is one of the main markets for tortilla chips. Commercial brand names for tortilla chips include Tostitos, Doritos, Phileas Fogg snacks, and Don Tacos (in Japan). A more elaborate dish utilizing tortilla chips is nachos, first created in 1943 in the small Mexican town of Piedras Negras by restaurateur Ignacio 'Nacho' Anaya. The principal difference between the corn in tortilla and corn chips is that the corn in a tortilla chip has undergone nixtamalization, which involves processing the raw corn with quicklime.
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