I Just Learned What 'Doritos' Stands For, And It's Got A Wild History
We’ve written before at HuffPost UK about how everything from Hobnobs to Bourbons got their name.
We’ve gone down the savoury route too (I was surprised by why “kettle chips” are called what they are, but it makes total sense).
But what about Doritos, the crunchy tortilla chips that are officially classified as “not a crisp”? Where did their name come from?
It’s got a Spanish origin
It might not surprise you that the name for a tortilla-based snack has its origins in the Spanish language ― it means “little golden things,” per Brand Master Academy.
“Dorado” means “golden” in Spanish, and the suffix ”-ito” is sort of like ”-ini” in Italian or ín in Irish ― it’s used “to make [something] seem smaller, cuter, or less significant,” per the BBC, and can imply affection.
Hence it got its (quite cute when you think about it) name when it was launched in 1964.
Arch West, the Frito marketing executive credited with the snack, was so proud of his creation that he got Doritos sprinkled over his ashes when he died.
Speaking of ― Doritos came from a brand deal with Disneyland
You read that right.Though the invention of tortilla chips is often credited to Rebecca Webb Carranza, who is said to have created them in the 1940s, the Doritos product and brand came from a partnership between what is now Frito-Lay and Disney.
Business Insider writes, “In the early days of Disneyland, a restaurant named Casa de Fritos invented Doritos by repurposing stale tortillas they bought from a local vendor.”
The restaurant which was placed in the park was actually put there by Frito, now Frito-Lay, the owners of Cheetos, Lay’s Chips, and Cracker Jacks.
And Frito-Lay themselves are owned by PepsiCo, who also own brands like Quaker Foods and Walkers.
So there we have it ― “Doritos” means “little golden things,” was loved so much by its creator that they were scattered over his ashes, and came from Disneyland rubbish.