Tostitos is a brand of Frito-Lay that produces different tortilla chips and a range of accompanying dips.
History
By January 1978, Frito-Lay's product development group led by Jack Liczkowski had completed development of Tostitos. The chips were round, made of white corn and had an authentic "Mexican" flavor. Part of achieving this authenticity occurred after research discovered that Mexicans, after cooking corn with inorganic lime, did not rinse the corn completely and so the resulting stone-ground corn masa has a higher content of lime and lower pH. When the calcium hydroxide reacts with oil, it gives the chips this specific taste. After successful test marketing in 1979, Tostitos Traditional Flavor and Tostitos Nacho Cheese Flavor went into national distribution in 1980 in the United States and reached sales of $140 million, making it one of the most successful new product introductions in Frito-Lay history. The chips are often eaten with a dip like salsa or nacho cheese, both of which the company also produces.
Varieties
There are many varieties of Tostitos chips:
Tostitos Gold - a thicker and larger version of the original, advertised to hold the thickest of dips; the bite size chips are smaller. Initially very popular, this variety has been quietly discontinued.
Tostitos Hint of Jalapeño - a version with jalapeño pepper flavoring added.
Tostitos Hint of Lime - a version with lime flavoring added.
Tostitos Spicy Quesadilla - artificial cheese and other spicy flavors added.
Tostitos Hint of Multigrain - a version with whole wheats and grains flavoring added.
Tostitos Flour Tortilla - made with flour for a milder flavor for dipping with a broader range of dips beyond Mexican-style dips.
Tostitos Restaurant Style - A much larger triangular style chip, similar to what is used in traditional Mexican-style restaurants. Also available in Light, advertised to be made with olestra, reducing fat and calories.
Tostitos Scoops - a tortilla chip molded into the shape of a bowl that allows for easier scooping of salsas and dips. Also available in Baked, advertised to have half the fat of normal tostitos scoops. Recently released "Hint Of Jalapeño".
Tostitos Natural - an organic tortilla chip that advertises "no artificial ingredients". Available in blue corn and yellow corn.
Tostitos Rounds - made to be flat and cut in a circle; the bite size chips are smaller.
Tostitos Rolls - introduced this party staple, a corn tortilla chip, and tube-like shape and hearty crunch.
Tostitos Cantina - introduced in 2012, a style of restaurant-inspired chips that targets the Millennial generation. There are several varieties of Cantina chips, including Cantina Thin & Crispy, and Cantina Traditional.
Tostitos Salsa Verde
Some Frito-Lay brand seasoned products, including some flavors of Tostitos, contain pork enzymes in addition to herbs, cheese and other seasonings. Frito-Lay's web site states that they use enzymes from pigs in some of their seasoned snack products to develop "unique flavors". The presence of pig-derived ingredients makes them unsuitable for vegetarians, vegans, as well as non-kosher and non-halal.
