National Tortilla Chip Day, a day set aside for the crunchy snack loved by millions across the nation, is observed annually on February 24th.
Even though tortilla chips have always been considered to be a Mexican food, known as tostados, they were first mass-produced in Los Angeles in the late 1940s. It is said that the triangle-shaped tortilla chips were made popular by Rebecca Webb Carranza as a way to use the misshapen tortillas that were rejected from the automated tortilla manufacturing machine that she and her husband used at their Los Angeles deli and tortilla factory.
Carranza realized that once the discarded tortillas were cut into triangle shapes and fried, they became a popular snack. She then sold them for a dime a bag at the El Zarape Tortilla Factory. Carranza received the Golden Tortilla Award in 1994 for her contribution to the Mexican food industry.
The United States is one of the primary markets for tortilla chips.
Another favorite dish made with tortilla chips is nachos. The dish was first created around 1943 by Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya.
- Most tortilla chips are triangular shaped because they are cut from round tortilla.
- In Mexico, Tortilla Chips are called tostados, toasted chips. Outside of North America they are called “corn chips”
- Tortilla chips are considered the most fattening item sold in Mexican restaurants with as much as 2 grams of fat per chip.
- Nachos, chips topped with a variation of shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, etc., are said to be created by Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya in 1943, account for 30% of all restaurant tortilla chips
- The inventor of tortilla chips was probably Jose Martinez of San Antonio, Texas. According to the book Taco USA, Martinez invented mass-produced masa, which is what tortillas are made out of. He found himself with lots of extra masa, so he decided to cut it up and toast the pieces into chips.
- The state of Texas made tortilla chips and salsa the state’s official snack in 2003.
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