Arch West invented Doritos over 50 years ago. He wanted to make a combination between potato chips and corn chips. Today Doritos sells about $5 billion worth of chips annually. They’re as important a Super Bowl staple as over-the-top renditions of the national anthem and have developed a cult-like following among foodies and stoners alike.
An all-American chip with a fake-Spanish name, Doritos have become one of our nation’s most distinctive exports. Even our sworn enemies can’t resist their triangular temptations. After Saddam Hussein was executed in 2006, his guards reported that his favorite snack was Doritos. When Doritos debuted in 1966, they had just one flavor: Toasted corn. West had sampled a proto-Dorito at a restaurant in San Diego and realized it's potential.
So the Dorito was born, made from yellow corn but with the size and texture of a potato chip. Doritos could have actually been made without the powder and taste the exact same. It was left on, because it was decided that it was part of the Doritos experience.