It's virtually impossible to eat just one.
And that bright orange cheese powder all over your fingers?
It's a dead giveaway that you were the one that polished off the bag.
But as much as you love snacking on Cool Ranch, Cheese Supreme, or Blazin' Buffalo, there's
probably a lot you don't know about your favorite chips.
So dig deep and grab a handful - this is the untold truth of Doritos.
Doritos addiction: proven by science
You know that feeling you get when you're eating Doritos?
"Hey are you gonna finish those?"
"Sorry they're already gone."
"No they're not, you left the best part."
"No, I'm pretty sure they're…"
"Mmmm cheese!"
Business Insider broke down the facts from food scientist Dr. Steven Witherly's book,
Why Humans Like Junk Food, and found that it's the cheesy powder that's responsible
for the chips' serious addictiveness.
Not only is it high in sugar and salt - which our taste buds love - it also contains a trio
of acids that cause a release of saliva and trigger the urge to eat.
In other words, they're literally mouth-watering.
Witherly says our brains love fat, and Doritos contain 50 percent fat calories, which happens
to be the ideal ratio.
And, of course, there's the cheese, which when digested, has an opioid-like effect on
our systems.
No wonder we're hooked.
Brought to you by Disney?
"Daddy can you play princess with me?"
"Sweetheart I'd love to, but the guys, they're outside waiting for me."
"I got Doritos!"
When it comes to the invention of Doritos, there are two competing theories.
One story goes that they got their start at Disneyland; another gives credit to Archibald
West, a Frito-Lay marketing exec.
But even Frito-Lay doesn't know the truth.
PR director Joan Cetera told HuffPost,
"We don't have anything in our records or archives that confirms it.
[…] We don't credit any one individual for inventing our products."
As for the Disneyland version…
Once upon a time, Frontierland was home to Frito-Lay's Mexican joint, Casa de Fritos.
One day, a salesman noticed the cooks were throwing out stale tortillas, and recommended
that they fry them in oil for a crispy snack.
They were a big hit with diners, and the iconic chip had unofficially been born.
Eventually, West visited Casa de Fritos and tasted the Doritos.
He immediately started production in 1964 - and they went nationwide in '66.
But there's another side to this story.
"Did you find everything ok, sir…
Whaaaaaaat?"
OK, so what about Arch West?
This side of the story goes that in '64, while on a family vacation in Southern California,
West happened upon a roadside shack selling greasy bags of toasted tortillas.
He then pitched the idea of crisp triangular tortilla chips to his company.
"Well, what do you think?"
Whether or not Arch West actually invented Doritos, he was definitely loyal to the chips.
According to his obituary, he ate them his whole life, and was even sent new flavors
to taste test, long after retirement.
When West died in 2011, his daughter told Dallas News,
"We are tossing Doritos chips in before they put the dirt over the urn.
He'll love it."
"At least he got his dying wish."
"A jumbo casket full of Doritos."
A "lady-like" controversy
Doritos found itself in hot water when Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo - Frito Lay's parent
company - made some surprising comments during a Freakomonics podcast.
When asked about the differences in the way men and women eat chips, Nooyi responded,
"A lot of the young guys eat the chips, they love their Doritos, and they lick their fingers
with great glee."
But she said of women,
"They don't like to crunch too loudly in public.
And they don't lick their fingers generously."
And she only made things worse, saying,
"Are there snacks for women that can be designed and packaged differently?
And how can you put it in your purse?"
This, of course, sent the internet into a tizzy, calling for Frito-Lay to rethink this
sexist idea.
PepsiCo quickly clarified,
"The reporting on a specific Doritos product for female consumers is inaccurate.
We already have Doritos for women - they're called Doritos."
"Billy, use the cleaner."
"Touchdown."
Snacktavism
In 2015, Doritos partnered with the It Gets Better Project to launch pride flag-inspired
Doritos Rainbow, which supported LGBTQ youth.
Ram Krishnan, Frito-Lay chief marketing officer, explained,
"Time and again, our consumers have shown us, there really is nothing bolder than being
true to yourself.
[…] With Doritos Rainbows chips, we're bringing an entirely new product experience to our
consumers to show our commitment toward equal rights for the [LGBTQ] community […]"
Collabing with the 'Bell
A partnership with fast food titan Taco Bell, the Doritos Locos Taco was an immediate success.
According to CEO Greg Creed, its launch in 2012 was the quote "biggest […] in Taco
Bell history," selling an astounding 500 million tacos in the first 14 months.
That's more than one million tacos per day.
"We had a feeling it was going to be big, but no one predicted this."
By 2013, they had hit $1 billion in sales.
"They should make a cool ranch one."
"Well they better hurry up before I'm dead."
It's crazy to think that the collab with Frito-Lay almost didn't happen, but issues with taste
and texture kept the taco in development for years.
Taco Bell product developer Steven Gomez told Business Insider,
"The idea sounds really simple, but it has to deliver on two fronts: the classic Taco
Bell taste and the distinctive Doritos experience.
Unlike a tortilla chip, taco shells can't break, and have to properly hold the taco
ingredients."
They eventually got it right - make that, very right - and the rest is delicious history.
"What flavor are they gonna make next?"
"Shhh!
Action!
I have no idea."