Corn chip

This article is about the small, salty chips like Fritos. For the larger, milder tortilla chips, see tortilla chips. For the film, see Corn Chips.

Corn chips are a snack food made from cornmeal fried in oil or baked, usually in the shape of a small noodle or scoop. Corn chips are thick, rigid, very crunchy, have the strong aroma and flavor of roasted corn, and are often heavily seasoned with salt.

Corn chip

Type	Snack food
Serving temperature	Room temperature
Main ingredients	Cornmeal
Similar dishes	Potato chip (crisps)

Overview

In the United States, Fritos is one of the oldest and most widely recognized brands of corn chips.^[1]

While corn chips and tortilla chips are both made from corn, the corn in tortilla chips is subjected to the nixtamalization process, resulting in a milder flavor and aroma, and a less rigid texture.^[2] Tortilla chips also tend to be larger, thinner, less fatty, and less salty than corn chips.

Corn chips are usually eaten alone or with a chip dip. They are a common ingredient in homemade and commercial party mixes. In the Southwestern US, a popular dish, Frito pie, is made with corn chips and chili.^[3][4] In some areas, it is popular to pour the chili into a bag of corn chips and eat the mixture directly from the bag.^[5][6]

See also

• Food portal

• Axium Foods
• Bean chips
• Chips and dip
• Frito-Lay
• List of maize dishes
• Nachos
• Potato chip
• Seven Layer Dip
• Tortilla chip

References

1. THE KITCHEN SISTERS (2007-10-18). "The Birth of the Frito". Morning Edition. National Public Radio. Archived from the original on 2008-04-24. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
2. Caballero-Briones, F.; et al. (June 2000). "Recent advances on the understanding of the nixtamalization process". Superficies y Vacío. 10. Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico: Sociedad Mexicana de Ciencia de Superficies y de Vacío: 20–24. ISSN 1665-3521.
3. "Frito pie (recipe)". Texas Cooking Online. 2007. Archived from the original on 2008-07-31. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
4. "Frito pie". Texas Cooking Online. 2007. Archived from the original on 2008-06-21. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
5. Harris, Joyce (13 June 2007). "The allure of Frito Pie". Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on 13 January 2010. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
6. Popik, Barry (28 November 2007). "Walking Taco". The Big Apple. Barry Popik. Archived from the original on 20 June 2010. Retrieved 21 October 2010.