Speaking of salty snacks

 

February 24th is National Tortilla Chip Day. Rebecca Webb Carranza invented packaged tortilla chips in the 1950s. 

She and her husband owned the El Zarape Tortilla Factory in Los Angeles, among the first to automate tortilla production. The machine often produced misshapen tortillas, and thrifty Carranza cut the rejected tortillas into triangles, fried them, and sold them for a dime a bag.

The packaged Frito was invented earlier by Charles Doolin. During the Depression, he owned a candy store in San Antonio, and wanted offer his customers some kind of salty corn snack. 

At a gas station, Doolin found a Mexican man making an extruded chip out of masa, frying it and selling little bags of corn chips. They were fritos, "little fried things" — the beach food of Mexico. Doolin bought the patent from the man and the rest is history.

Some of us remember the now politically incorrect Frito Bandito, voiced by Mel Blanc.

 An authentic Frito Pie, served in the package.