Tortilla Chips Were Invented In Los Angeles Not Mexico

National Tortilla Chip Day on February 24th celebrates a crunchy chip that provides a multitude of ways to enjoy it! The day also shares the chip’s history and many ways to enjoy this delicious snack food.

• 10,000 BC – Certainly the beauty of the Tortilla Chip would be nothing without its ancestor, the illustrious tortilla. It is developed right around the time that corn is first domesticated in the Sierra Madre region of Mexico. Mayan legend says the first tortilla was a gift to a king.
• 13th Century – People have been dipping their food for centuries. Hummus-like recipes date back to the 13th century.
• 1600 – The word “Tortilla” is first documented. Coming from the Spanish word meaning “little cake”, the word is first documented and was likely named such by Spaniards who were explorers in Central America
• 17th Century – French Onion as a flavor emerged in the 17th century.
• 1815 – Sour cream was invented in the U.S. between 1815 – 1825. Somewhere around there, the first dip as we know it must have come into being.
• 1853 – The potato chip was first invented in 1853.
• 1940s – Rebecca Webb Carranza repurposes rejected tortillas from the automated line at her workplace…she decided to use the misshapen tortillas that the automated tortilla manufacturing machine rejected. She was able to turn them into a snack by cutting them into triangles and then frying them.
• 1988 – Between 1988 and 1992 households in the US buying salsa increased from 16% to 36%. Sales of salsa overtook Ketchup sales in 1991 (in terms of dollar value).
• 1950s – The popularity of chip and dip skyrockets at the end of World War II with new entertainment fads and the introduction of Lipton’s new advertising campaign for their famous French Onion Dip.
• 1981 – Following on the heels of the popular flavored Doritos, the company introduces Tostitos, which is a plain tortilla chip that continues to top the charts in sales over the years
• 2003 – Tortilla Chips and Salsa was designated as the Official State Snack of Texas in 2003. Students at an elementary school in Texas contacted their state Representative to request that Tortilla Chips and salsa be designated a state snack.
• 2010 – According to a report from The Snack Food Association, tortillas are outselling hotdog- and hamburger buns.
• 2015 – Tostitos, a major U.S. brand of tortilla chips, offers free dip to any customer named Chip.
• 2020 – Americans dip over 11 million pounds of potato chips, 8 million pounds of tortilla chips, and 4 million pounds of pretzels during the Super Bowl!
• One of the earliest dips to become popular long before chips ever came into existence is the Greek tzatziki.
• Guacamole, yet another iconic chip dip, that was first made by the Aztecs.
• Hummus, as part of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines for centuries, did not appear in the United States until after World War II.
• For centuries, people have been using creamy concoctions as a dipping sauce for bread, chips and veggies.
• Salsa originated with the Inca people. Salsa (a combination of chilies, tomatoes and other spices) can be traced to the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas.
• Chips and Dip gained popularity in the US in the middle of the last century.
• During the Superbowl Games each year, tons of chips and dips are served.
• You can serve dips with all types of chips from tortilla chips to vegetable chips and more.
• Dips with corn chips became popular in the US in the late 1980s when guacamole became a very popular dip choice.
• A whole avocado contains 200-300 calories and is a good source of vitamins A, C, E and the B vitamins, as well as fiber and potassium. Dip without the guilt!

Sources:

National Day Calendar

Days of the Year

Foodimentary

Always the Holidays

Jamie Geller

National Today