Snacks, Salty: Corn Chips

The success of potato chips created a market for corn chips, which originated as a Mexican snack—cut up, fried, or hardened tortillas. Elmer Doolin was also in San Antonio snacking on friotes, which were made from fried masa, or corn flour. He manufactured them under the name “Fritos.” In 1945 Doolin met the potato chip manufacturer Herman Lay, who agreed to distribute Fritos. When Doolin died in 1959, the two companies merged, creating Frito-Lay, Inc., which continued to grow and acquired other snack foods. In 1965, Frito-Lay was acquired by the Pepsi-Cola Company. The newly merged company launched many new snack foods, such as Doritos, which almost overnight became one of America’s most popular snacks. By the end of the twentieth century, the corn chip industry was dominated by Frito-Lay, with the top sellers being Doritos and Tostitos.