(groaning)
(upbeat music)
- Yo, we've got ourselves a fight.
In one corner, we have Flamin' Hot Cheetos,
hitting shelves back in 1991.
These childhood favorites were invented
by Mexican American, Richard Montañez, while he was still
a janitor at the Frito Lay plant in California.
On the other corner, we have Takis Fuego by Barcel,
the popular Mexican snack company
behind other childhood favorites.
Takis Fuego hit the U.S. market back in 2006
and despite having a variety of flavors, we'll be talking
about its iconic chili and lime flavor combo.
When it comes to Hot Cheetos and Takis, they're both hot.
They're both sexy.
They're both cultural icons.
We asked the Pero Like audience on Facebook
which they prefer more and according
to our audience, 39% preferred Takis,
while the other 61% preferred Hot Cheetos.
But, this isn't about popularity.
It's about taste.
So, I asked my Latino coworkers
to give me their honest thoughts
about both of these contenders
and at the end, we're gonna see
which one of these hot snacks es el mero mero.
- I love Hot Cheetos.
- I love Takis.
- Hot Cheetos are literally my weakness.
- You're the most popular kid in school
if you had some Hot Cheetos.
You could hustle that out and have
a nice little side business for yourself.
- It was kind of like a courageous thing that you did
when you were younger, because it was like, they're hot.
Can you take it?
- During school, we'd get a bag of Hot Cheetos
and my fingers would just be dusted with the powder
and I would look at them like art.
And I would go, (licks) mmmm.
(licks) Mmmm.
- I'll be honest, I don't like that shit.
Both of 'em are nasty.
(laughs) I don't eat none of 'em.
I don't eat spicy.
I'm Dominican.
We don't do that.
(Latin music)
(crunching)
- It's like, tasteless.
It's getting spicy.
Okay, it's getting spicy.
- I don't like the color.
Don't like the look.
Flavor wise, they're pretty good.
I get why people really like them.
- The beauty of the snack is that
it gets stuck on your fingers afterward
and it's just the snack that keeps going
because you just lick these puppies until they're gone.
- It feels empty, like I'm eating nothing but emptiness,
but at the same time, I wanna eat more.
- It just brings back my childhood.
They're just hot and they make your ears feel hot.
I can't even describe the taste, though.
- The Hot Cheeto spice is like it's own spice.
It doesn't really taste like a corn chip or a cheese Cheeto.
It's like it's own thing.
- It tastes better every time you chew.
- It's nothing too serious, nothing too crazy.
No te vas a chillar.
(crunching)
- This is not bad.
Actually, now is getting good.
Now, I feel it.
Okay, I kinda like it now.
(laughs loudly)
(upbeat music)
(crunching)
- You hear that crunch?
It's more meaningful.
- You can definitely taste the citrus more.
Right?
Like, it's lime.
You can taste the lime.
- It's very familiar.
It's like the type of taste that I'm drawn to.
Like, lemony, salty, spicy, and corn chip.
- I also just like the look of it more.
You can see the marks where it's cooked.
Just looks like a little wrapped up tortilla.
- And the powder is more intense than Hot Cheetos,
which is why I can never eat as much
without something else to eat it with like a sour cream.
Did you ever do that?
Like, dip it in sour cream?
You dip these in sour cream and you'll thank me later.
They're bomb.
- It's just beautiful kind of tango of spice and lime juice.
- Cheetos take us a while.
You're like, "Yeah, it's cool."
But, it progresses.
This one is like, "Boom, I'm here (bleep).
"What's good?
"Ooo, yeah."
Woo!
This is a lot stronger than Cheetos.
Woo!
(beeps)
(energetic music)
- These are so much better than Hot Cheetos.
(dinging)
(crunching)
Oh, my God.
- Like, I'd rather have this with beer than spicy Cheetos.
Those feel like popcorn.
You're just gonna keep eating it because it's air.
It's fluff.
This has a lot more substance to me.
(dinging)
- If I had to pick, like for the rest of my life
I could only eat one kind, Hot Cheetos.
(dinging)
No doubt.
- I wish that they would have a baby.
I wish that Hot Cheetos tasted like this,
but looked like that.
I'm gonna go with Hot Cheetos.
(dinging) (laughs)
(grunts)
- Cheetos are more base model
and then Takis are just a little more like,
oh, let's throw some lime, let's change it up.
Let's throw it in this form.
So, I think this might be the more advanced take on it.
Oh gosh, I guess Takis.
(dinging)
Go, man.
- To be honest with you,
I would say Takis.
(bell ringing)
You know what I mean?
Takis is like right there.
It's in your face.
It's like, I'm here, bro.
I'm not going nowhere.
I'm not gonna surprise you.
I'm gonna be the same every bite.
I'm here, we here to party.
This feels like a party in my mouth.
(cheering)
Yo, real talk, I'm gonna start bringing this to parties.
Yo, I got the Takis, y'all.
And I figure everybody'll be happy.
Am I right?
Is this exactly what happens?
Oh my God, Takis.
Yo, primo!
Yes, I'm a primo.
(laughing)
(speaking Spanish)
(crunching)
I'm still eating them.