Everything about Tortilla Chip totally explained
A
tortilla chip is a
snack food made from
corn tortillas, which are cut into wedges and then fried (alternately they may be discs pressed out of corn
masa then fried or baked). Corn tortillas are made of
corn,
vegetable oil,
salt and water. Although first mass-produced in Los Angeles in the late 1940s, tortilla chips are considered to be a
Mexican food. Though usually made of yellow corn (as pictured), they can also be made of white, blue, or red corn.
The tortilla chip was popularized by Rebecca Webb Carranza 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. She died in
Phoenix, Arizona, on January 19, 2006, at the age of 98.
Tortilla chips are the quintessential and often complimentary
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. They are typically served with a dip, such as
salsa,
chili con queso, or
guacamole. When not served with a dip, the chips are often seasoned with herbs and spices. Although now available worldwide, the
United States is one of the main markets for tortilla chips. Commercial brand names for tortilla chips include
Tostitos and
Doritos.
A more elaborate dish utilizing tortilla chips is
nachos, which consists tortilla chips served with melted or shredded
cheese, although often other toppings are added or substituted, such as meat,
salsa (such as
pico de gallo),
refried beans,
guacamole,
sour cream,
diced onions,
olives, and pickled
jalapeños. More elaborate nachos are often baked for a short period of time to warm the tortillas and melt shredded cheese. First created circa 1943 by
Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya, nachos may represent the earliest known creation of tortilla chips.
A similar fried corn snack is the
corn chip, which isn't made from a tortilla, but from corn meal which has been processed into a particular shape, typically a small scoop.
Fritos are an example of this. The principal difference between the corn in tortilla and corn chips is that the corn in a tortilla chip has undergone a process known as
nixtamalization, which involves processing the raw corn with
quicklime. Note that both tortilla and corn chips are referred to as "corn chips" in
Australia and
Oceania. The main snack food competing with tortilla and corn chips is fried chips made from potatoes, known as
potato chips or
crisps.
Other fried or baked tortilla or masa products
Further Information
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