You probably eat Doritos at least every once in a while, right? (Um, we do. We definitely do.) But have you wondered why Doritos are called Doritos, and where they even came from?
Why are Doritos called Doritos?
Now, there’s a lot of conflicting Doritos knowledge out there, but for the most part, we’ve got it down. Get ready for a foodie history lesson. Did you know that there’s an apparent connection between Doritos and Disneyland? Yep. The tortilla chip — which is owned by Frito-Lay — was actually born there, which we think probably destined it for greatness. After all, it is the “happiest place on earth.”
Here’s the deal: Way back in the 1960s, Casa de Fritos in Disneyland got the brilliant idea to stop throwing out the scraps from un-used tortillas; instead, they started frying them up — as snackable, crunchy chips. It’s said that one of the restaurant’s food representatives, Arch West, came up with the amazing idea, which prompted the joint to start doing it. (In fact, when West passed away, he was buried with the snack he brought to the world. Morbid, but legendary.)
At this point, people were chowing down on fried tortilla pieces (yes, without nacho cheese) while walking around Disneyland, and that was that. Soon, though, someone tipped off a Frito-Lay marketing rep. The rep visited the restaurant — and well, the rest is history. He thought they had big-time salability. Doritos was born!
So what about the name? It’s from the Spanish dorer (to brown), and from doradito (little golden thing). So, somewhere in there, Dorito came to be.
In 1966, the chips got bagged and hit shelves. In the beginning, it was sort of a scrappy endeavor; the orders for the chips were produced locally. Quickly, though, the demand for the chips was skyrocketing — leading to production in Frito-Lays’ main factory in Oklahoma.
We’re loving this! These are the vintage Doritos, found by an Instagram user.
And another shot. The design is so amazingly retro!
Around this time, they were unflavored — just plain ol’ fried Dorito goodness, but in 1968, they got a “taco’ seasoning upgrade to spice them up a bit.
Here’s the “taco” flavor. Even the bag’s colors look edible!
Look at these 1980s Doritos! This is the “salsa rio” flavor.
And then there’s this vintage bag. Look at that ketchup and tomato illustration!
Do you remember when chips were under a buck? We do!
We spied a vintage “Cool Ranch.” Looks like someone had a good time with these bad boys.
You can thank the disco era for bringing about the cheesy amazingness you know and love today. In the early 1970s, the “nacho cheese” flavor exploded in popularity, and then it wasn’t until the ’80s that your other favorite flavor, Cool Ranch, hit the stores.
Look at this spectacularly overwhelming Doritos truck. The marketing department knows how to turn everyone’s fave chip into a billion-dollar brand.
Also, this. Would you wear this? We would.
For extra-extra ’90s points, wear this. You’ll be the cool kid with the nacho coin purse.
Yep, it was in 1986 that Cool Ranch became the household name we know today. It’s everyone’s favorite Doritos flavor, right? Obviously, yes. Because in 1992, the brand was a snack hit.
Now, it’s a mega brand, which maybe (sort of, kind of?) helps to explain why it launched the Doritos Broadcast Project, which partnered with the European Space Station in the Arctic Circle (EISCAT) to send out the world’s first interstellar foodie advertisement. We know what you’re thinking: Doritos are good, but would aliens like them, too?
We think yes. Yes, they would. They’d probably love this flavor:
Or maybe they’d like it even spicier? We sure do:
Whatever the case, Doritos is a household name — all thanks to Disneyland, a smart sales rep, and our taste buds.
