How Disneyland Played A Part In The Invention Of Doritos
The story of Doritos, one of our favorite chips, is as layered as it is innovative. It's hard to believe, but these iconic chips have been on grocery store shelves since 1967. There's quite a bit of history to this food invention, and the rumors are true: Doritos were initially created at Disneyland.
The history of Doritos began when a sales representative from Alex Foods noticed that the chef at Disneyland's Fritos-themed restaurant Casa de Fritos was throwing away unused corn tortillas at the end of the day. He suggested the chef turn them into totopos, a Zapotec Mexican snack, by slicing the tortillas into triangles, then seasoning and frying them. These chips were then offered at the restaurant as a free appetizer. As they became popular, they were added to the menu. This is how the idea of Doritos was born.
Doritos are made with tortilla chips that are layered with spices and a blend of cheeses. If you're so inclined, you can step into your own version of this story and actually create the flavor of Doritos at home using store-bought ingredients.
How Doritos made it to grocery store shelves
The Casa de Fritos restaurant was one of many restaurants at Disneyland that were created through corporate sponsorships. Casa de Fritos was sponsored by Frito-Lay, which had a hand in designing the food that appeared on the menu.
The wildly popular chips were noticed by Frito-Lay marketing VP Arch West when he visited the restaurant. Seeing an opportunity, West struck a deal with Alex Foods to mass produce the chips and sell them in Southern California under the name Doritos. They sold out, and soon Frito-Lay took over production at their Oklahoma facility and sold them nationwide.
This story of innovation is similar to the practical reasons tortilla chips were invented in the 1940s. There, too, an unused ingredient was being thrown away, and culinary creation led to the invention of the tortilla chip. Thus, if you happen to have unused tortillas available, you can learn how to make homemade oven-baked tortilla chips instead of tossing them out. Then, use these DIY chips to make your own Dorito-inspired snacks.