Mexican Doritos Apparently Taste Better Than The American Version

Living in California, a common refrain this writer hears is that the Mexican versions of beloved American snacks are vastly better than what we eat Stateside. Just ask someone in the know about "Mexican Coke" and prepare to be educated on not only what makes those slender glass bottles better, but also on the delicious combination of real sugar and tropical flavor in Mexican-made beverages like Jarritos sodas. A widely held opinion posits that chips sold under the Frito-Lay brand in the U.S. are even better tasting when made in Mexico. This is likely because while Frito-Lay sells its chip family in both countries, the actual manufacturing of Mexican Frito-Lay chips is done by a different company: Sabritas.

Sabritas is grouped under the Frito-Lay brand as one of its "Banner Sun" companies, brands that are made and sold by Frito-Lay outside of the United States. Other international brands in this portfolio include Walkers, which is sold in the U.K. and Ireland, Smith's, which is sold in Australia, and a host of international flavors made by Lay's for countries around the world.

Sabritas-manufactured chips do make their way into some American markets, especially if you live in an area with a Mexican food store or deli. When shopping, just look for a picture of the brand's cute, smiling mascot; his presence means the chips come from Sabritas. It produces the classic Nacho Doritos flavor in Mexico, as well as Cheetos, Takis, and the Sabritas brand chips. Sabritas is also the brand name for Lays in Mexico; both brands carry a very similar logo.

Should you have the opportunity to purchase Mexican Doritos online or in a local store, you'll notice that there really is a difference in flavor. This writer had a personal taste test upon finding Sabritas-made Doritos at a 7-11 and discovered bolder spice flavors and a stronger crunch than the American version. Online consensus appears to support these taste buds. While this could just be the American division calibrating the spiciness of Doritos to suit palates more accustomed to TexMex cuisine, the differences extend to other Sabritas-made chips. The Cheetos we brought home from a trip to Mexico tasted different as well: a tad crunchier, but more importantly, more like real cheese than their Frito-Lay branded counterparts.

And if you don't have easy access to Mexican Doritos, why not try to recreate the flavors yourself? Doritos seasoning is a shockingly easy mix of spices, with which one could experiment with spice levels to find the perfect combo of flavor and heat.