You’ve heard of them. You’ve maybe even tasted them. But what are takis?
Takis are flavored corn chips made of rolled tortillas, designed to imitate taquitos. If this doesn’t seem that exciting, just check out what the Takis website has to say about them: “Do you have what it takes to handle the intensity of Takis® rolled tortilla chips? Are you able to stand a crunchy bite of our full-on flavor? Because these are no ordinary corn chips. Oh, no. Takis Chips are only for the strong. The brave. The daring. So open a bag today and Face the Intensity.”
Honestly, it sounds a little intimidating, no? But nonetheless, let us continue our journey into the heart of Takis. Beware, this is not for the faint of heart, evidently.
When did Takis come out?
As noted on their website, Takis are rolled tortilla chips with a unique spicy taste that were invented in Mexico in 1999 and first rolled out (get it?) in the United States in 2004, where they quickly became extremely popular.
There are a wide variety of Taki flavors available, including Blue Heat, Crunchy Fajitis, Guacamole, and Nitro. The spiciest kind is also the most popular, Fuego, which comes in a distinctive purple bag. The most mild flavor, meanwhile, is Smokin’ Lime.
Who makes Takis?
A company called Barcel, which is owned by Grupo Bimbo. Grupo Bimbo is also the parent company for some other classic grocery store brands, including Sara Lee and Mrs. Baird’s. It is also responsible for some of the best hot dog buns and some of the best whole wheat bread.
What are Takis made of?
According to the ingredients list, a bag of Takis includes (takes deep breath) “corn masa flour (processed with lime), soybean and/or palm and/or canola oil, iodized salt, sugar, natural and artificial flavor, citric acid, soy protein, yeast, monosodium glutamate, maltodextrin, sodium diacetate, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, artificial colors (Red No. 40 Lake, Yellow No. 6 Lake,) onion powder, hot chili pepper (chile), sodium bicarbonate, sodium guanylate, sodium inosinate, silicon dioxide (anticaking), antioxidant (BHT, TBHQ, propylene glycol, BHA).” Nutritionally speaking, a one-ounce serving—around 12 pieces of Takis—contains 150 calories. There are eight grams of fat including 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 420 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of protein. So, what does this tell us? Are Takis vegan? Yes! No animal products to be found anywhere. Are Takis gluten free? Nope. Even though the main ingredient is corn, the packaging warns that Takis are made in a facility that may also use wheat. So, best to avoid these if you’re on a truly gluten free diet. Are Takis a health food? Well, no, not exactly.
The Takis label also puts out a number of other snacks with similar flavor profiles, including Takis Pop!, a spicy popcorn, Takis Stix, a stick-shaped corn snack, and their potato chip varieties, Chippz and Kettlez.
How do you eat Takis?
Takis are obviously great to enjoy right from the bag, but if you have a hankering to cook with them, there are a wide variety of recipes online utilizing this unique chip. You can grind them up and use them as a coating for chicken fingers or mozzarella sticks, mix them into deviled eggs, or literally spice up a burrito or grilled cheese by sticking a few in there.
In closing, I should mention that there have been rumors that Takis, along with other super spicy snacks such as Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, have led to health concerns, such as ulcers and stomach cancer, for those who overindulge. This is totally false, so feel free to enjoy, but keep in mind that too much spice can lead to some digestive issues, so use some discretion before having Takis for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They are so tasty that this might be a challenge, but it’s a good practice nonetheless.
Best Takis Flavors
Okay, but what are the best Takis flavors? We tasted them all and are prepared to answer that very question. Click to get the. full ranking.
