February 24th hosts a holiday I didn’t know I needed until now. A day in honor of the humble tortilla chip, the vehicle for some of our favorite dips, the “chips” in chips and salsa, the only chip strong enough to stand up to the densest guacamole or seven-layer dip. Tortilla chips are constantly battling for fame with the potato chip; however, the tortilla chip will finally get to experience a day in the spotlight.
The most common partner for the tortilla chip would have to be salsa. These two are served at every Mexican restaurant, are practically a necessity for any social gathering, and are the official state snack of Texas. With the vast array of salsas, it’s easy to understand why the tortilla chip tends to get overshadowed in this duo. However, more varieties of tortilla chips are being created every day to fit every preference and provide the ideal flavor (and shape) to match any salsa. Besides the traditional triangle, there are strips, scoops, thin, and thick, plus yellow corn, white corn, blue corn, and Dorito to name a few other variations. (Yes, Doritos are just tortilla chips covered in flavor powders).
Of course, it would be sinful to write about the tortilla chip and neglect to write about the dish that they create: nachos. Nachos can be served as a snack, appetizer, meal, and dessert; making it arguably one of the most adaptable dishes in the world. The basic, appetizer-type nachos range from simple, like tortilla chips and nacho cheese, to hearty, like the nachos at larger chain restaurants. Not to mention the endless customization possibilities: extra jalapenos, no sour cream, ground turkey, hot salsa, cotija cheese, and yes – I know that guacamole costs extra.
And to think, we have tortilla chips as we know them today thanks to a clever business idea in the 1940-50s. Rebecca Webb Carranza worked in the El Zarape Tortilla Factory in Las Angeles, one of the first to mass produce tortillas. She saw the number of rejected tortillas and thought of using these tortillas to make and sell tortilla chips instead of wasting them. So not only is the tortilla chip day and opportunity to celebrate a delicious snack, but it is also a day we celebrate Carranza’s foresight and leadership in deciding to mass produce the chips, in a society where women in business were much less welcome than today.
A recipe first produced by the Aztecs hundreds of years ago has withstood the test of time, taking a new form that became popularized in the 1940-50s by Rebecca Webb Carranza. The tortilla chip continues to evolve as new ideas are tested and green-lighted, and we create innovative new recipes: chili cheese nachos, breakfast nacho bake, and who knows how many other recipes posted on Pinterest. These chips are most frequently vegetarian and vegan and gluten free. And we are able to honor the history and deliciousness of this humble chip on its very own holiday, thanks to Rebecca Webb Carranza.