The Practical Reason Tortilla Chips Were Invented

Tortillas are a staple food in Mexico with origins dating back to ancient Mesoamerica, but that is not the case for tortilla chips. The origin of these salty, crunchy chips can be traced back to Los Angeles in the 1940s, credited to a Mexican-American woman named Rebecca Webb Carranza. Born in the northern state of Durango, Mexico, she was one of the first to revolutionize the production of tortillas by using machinery.

The automated machinery made tortillas much faster than by hand, but the downside to this rapid speed was that many came out bent or broken. The imperfect tortillas were not sellable, so they were discarded — until Carranza tried frying the wasted tortillas in oil. This process, plus a little bit of salt, was an absolute hit. While it's certainly possible that someone else, or many other people, thought to cut and fry tortillas to make a crunchy chip, Carranza is considered the first to begin commercially producing this snack. Therefore the invention of tortilla chips was a practical way to combat food waste, as well as make extra money from what had been traditionally thought of as scraps. The creation also happened to be delicious, and the perfect way to scoop up salsa and guacamole. 

Today, tortilla chips are one of the fastest-growing snack food categories, and are heavily consumed throughoutthe United States and Mexico. Although we don't really consider Doritos a true tortilla chip, it technically is corn-based; this company sells the most tortilla chips with 1.14 billion units per year. Now, most companies, including Doritos, directly produce tortilla chips via machinery rather than using misshapen tortillas, to keep up with the increasing demand. Most tortilla chips we eat today are packaged in bags and sold at the supermarket, and some brands are much better than others. Chowhound's top choices for tortilla chips brands are Juantonio's and La Cocina de Josefina. 

It is possible to find fresh tortilla chips, like Carranza first made, in restaurants and tortillerias, or by making them yourself. Frying up your own tortilla chips from stale or broken tortillas is a great way to minimize food waste in your kitchen. Plus, homemade tortilla chips taste much better and fresher than the ones purchased in a bag! The process is simple; tortillas should be sliced to make the triangle chip shape, and then either baked or fried. Restaurants and companies typically use the frying method, which results in a super crispy, light chip. Baking will use less oil, but result in a less crunchy chip. Once you have a perfect pile of golden chips, they can become the base for chilaquiles or be dipped in a tasty salsa like guacachile.