The Frito-Lay, Inc Chip Canon

For anything scholarly to have any sort of strength it must have a canon of equal strength. The society of Chips Enthusiasts is no different from English or Film in this sense. In order for the people to understand what we are thinking as scholars an outline must be created to give a base for our thoughts. Only once a code has been put in place can arguments be constructed. It is important to note that these are the beginnings of the canon and it will take shape as we continue, in a forward arch as is important to any field of knowledge, on our education journey into the depths of chip enjoyment.

The Canon that I feel is the easiest to outline is the Frito-Lay, Inc. Canon. I am aware of, and fully support smaller companies, such as Old Dutch Food, Inc, but for the sake of argument I will stick with the Frito-Lay history of the chip. Personally, I would prefer not to do this but since I hold a small hope of gaining some corporate sponsorship I will use this format and save my true stance for later commentary under a name one would assume is not my real name. But until then I will continue discussing a Frito-Lay based history of the chip. Frito-Lay has become even more of a conglomerate after becoming partners with Pepsi Corp., but this fact has nothing to do with how my chips taste, except that they have the after-taste of corporate America ingrained into every ridge and pore of a Frito-Lay, Inc. chip.

The company "Frito" first began in 1932 with a man named Elmer Doolin, who purchased 19 corn chip recipes for one hundred dollars and began making Fritos chips in his mother’s kitchen. The company did not make a large-scale production for a few years, but this is the beginning of the corn chip giant that dominates the markets of today. During the same time period a man named Herman W. Lay was starting a potato chip business in Tennessee. Both companies experienced a boom following World War II, as many companies in America did, and joined in 1961. What began as two small-time companies grew into the shoes their markets demanded and started what was to become Frito-Lay, Inc. This is the company that has been continually sold to larger and larger companies while maintaining the same basic selection of products along with the continual addition of other flavors and chip types to their ranks. These two opposing companies, by joining together, became the largest chip manufacturer in the United States. I am trimming the fat of history but these are the important events as I see them. The important factors in this case are that there was a development of corn and potato chips at a very tremulous time in American history which has influenced our diet henceforth.

As stated moments ago, the most steadfast and important distinction of chips is the difference between potato and corn chips. Both are part of the beginning but they have different goals in their usage and should be treated separately as such. With this in mind the two beginnings of chips can be described.

The most important top of the hierarchy of chips, for me at least, are Fritos corn chips and Lay's potato chips. These are the giants of chips. Like them or not they are the basis for all other chip types. Flavors are a section for later discussion but as you will find, the majority of the flavors will be applied to these basic chips. The potato chip being more versatile allowed it to have more flavors applied to it at the onset but the corn chip have been reformulated to allow easier snacking and flavor application, a excellent marketing tool in the constantly changing snack market. I personally am inclined to enjoy Fritos basic corn chip as one of the most simple and tasty snacks of the salt and corn market but my colleagues are not as keen on this original chip. From these two chips the canon can be expanded upon.

After the early development of Fritos and Lay’s and their conglomeration, the aftermath created Doritos, Tostitos, and Cheetos. Of the three there is debate about two of them. The standard line is that Doritos suck and I argue that Cheetos are not a chip. With this in mind I feel that their presence is strong enough that they are part of the canon due to their importance and with some prodding from my colleagues. In recent history the addition of Kettle Chips has been welcomed to the Canon and I might personally add with some joy. The kettle chip is possibly the best addition to the world of chips in many years but this discussion yet again is better saved for a better time.

So there you have it, the big six of the Frito-Lay Chip Canon. To reiterate the six are: Fritos, Lay’s Potato Chips, Doritos, Cheetos, Tostitos, and Lay’s Kettle Chips. Each of these types performs a different function in the snacking world. I will proceed to describing the value of each of these products from the aspect of the five senses. I will break it down in the order of sight, sound, feel, taste and finish with smell. This next section is quite detailed and is only important for a person who may wish to try and become as educated on the subject of the Frito-Lay Canon.
The Fritos’ purpose is the most obvious. It is a salty corn chip that can be munched on anytime any place. It is not unappealing. Simple yellow with variations of brown, it appears similar to its creator, the illustrious ear of corn. It continues to be similar to corn in that it is best enjoyed due to it is cooked and salted for a better taste. The sound of Fritos is also not unappealing. It is, as stated before, crunchy, and makes a strong chip sound. It can be used as an annoyance to fellow occupiers of space or it can be enjoyed discreetly and quietly when snacking, rather than annoyance, is a persons primary goal. The touch of the Frito is one of its few draw backs; it is very greasy and requires some sort of wipe after consumption. With this in mind this same feature can be said of all chips to a certain extent. The taste, the most crucial part, is classic. The term classic here implies all of the joys of nostalgia that can be found in a taste. When one eats Fritos, it may be more for the image than for the actual enjoyment. This is debatable but still a factor. The final part of this description is smell. To the best of my knowledge there is no after smell that is found on a person that has eaten Fritos. This can be very handy and is a major difference between Fritos and other chips that make up this canon.

The Lay’s potato chip is very similar to Fritos in purpose and enjoyment value. It is simple to observe, meaning at least somewhat pleasing to the eye, and it contains of its properties the strength of quality crunch. Yet again a major drawback is that it is greasy and will require either pants or napkins to relieve this issue. The Lay is also a classic taste, but unlike the Fritos, it taps into the sensation of potatoes rather than the flavor of corn. I leave preference up to the devourer. The Lay also contains the property of not being an offensive smell. The Lay can be summed up as a salty, crunchy, potato chip that can be enjoyed anytime anywhere that pants are available.

The Doritos brand is too extensive to really describe in this location. Some key universal characteristics of Doritos can however be elaborated on. The Dorito is an ugly triangular chip that bears the distinction of being clearly mass produced. It is covered in artificial flavor to the point that I barely can tell what the base of my snack is. This may be desirable for some but I am what some may call a “Classic Chip Enthusiast” which has lead to some disagreements with my contemporaries. Doritos sound alright. They have crunch. This is the only redeeming quality about them. Continuing on, after one notices that the Dorito they are about to consume is ugly and covered in a smothering layer of “flavor” the next problem of the Dorito is that this “flavor” sticks to every surface it can be put into connection with. It bends its will to try and stain everything you touch after consuming it so as to find more possible ways to advertise its existence. Unlike the greasy nature of Fritos and Lay’s, the Doritos touch is griping. Everyone will know what a person has been eating if there is not a trip taken to the sink or a through cleaning using ones mouth and saliva. I personally would recommend the sink for cleaning off hands for it may be possible to also rinse the mouth. This seems like an opportune moment to discuss the aroma of Doritos. They stink. They will make a person stink. Everyone will know that Doritos has been consumed and that the individual who has consumed them is now drastically less attractive. If one has eaten enough of them even mouth wash and a good tooth scrubbing may not be enough to cleanse the mouth of this horrid odor. The last, and as troubling feature as the others, is the Doritos flavor. There are too many of them. I personally think that Doritos marketing must think that if they produce Doritos in every possible flavor that they will sell. It must be true for new flavors are constantly coming and going in the chip market. As a Classic Chip Enthusiast this sort of abuse of chips is unacceptable. All of these flavors are not necessary and take away from the quality of individual chip flavors. I may enjoy a Sour Cream and Onion but there is no way that I want to eat a Ketchup flavored Dorito. If I want ketchup on my chip I will dip an unflavored chip in ketchup and enjoy the satisfaction of the actual flavor. I do not need “scientists” working away in a lab trying to capture flavors like Pokémon! These reasons give way to why I believe Doritos are the egregious bastards of the chip family.

Now, I have the privilege to discuss one of my personal favorites of the Canon, Tostitos. Tostitos are a wonderful invention. They can be used as a standalone snack or dipped in delicious salsa. Tostitos make a much better tool for this function than the distant cousin of chips, the cracker, and specifically Saltines. Tostitos are visually very appealing. Light and crunchy with a layer of salt that can only entice one to snack upon this corn delicacy. These chips are crunchy and have a surprisingly minimally residue. They at most will leave a person’s hands a little salty or almost floury in much the same way as their parent food, the tortilla. The taste of Tostitos is very simple. It is salt, corn, and flour. It, as stated before, it quite the compliment to the strong flavor of a good salsa. Last, the smell of Tostitos is also minimal to not noticeable. No one will be trying to give mints after a person has eaten this delicious snack.

This is where I would discuss Cheetos, but since I do not abide by this as being a chip I will leave it up to my colleagues to fill in this blank. I also will leave the kettle chip for later discussion because it is more closely related to baked chips, which makes both of these chips ripe for later definition. Now, as a reader of ChipEnthusiast, you should have the knowledge of the most important chips and how they are viewed by this Classic Chip Enthusiast.

From these giants of snacks all discussion can flow and the beginnings of arguments has been set in motion.