[ldubois2]

Did a search and found no evidence of this topic. Was wondering, when you purchase tortilla chips to go with salsa or guacamole, what chips do you buy? In the midwest, the best brand so far is "El Ranchero" - green bag, with salt.

[theabroma]

That's a good question. There appear to be a lot of local and 'house' brands around. Here in Texas we can get 'Fiesta' which is the house brand of Fiesta Markets, El Galindo, which is a large tortilleria chain, etc. Of course there are innumerably morphed shapes bagged by Frito-Lay.

I would suggest looking for a tortilla maker in your area - they often sell chips, and usually are the best ones around. Here in Dallas we go to Luna's Tortillas; in Austin, El Rio. Also, you can make your own - just use the thinnest tortillas you can find. The thick corn ones come out like armor plate!

Theabroma

[caroline]

Hi lldubois 2, Interesting question because it touches on lots of differences between Mexican and Mexican-American food. So here's how I see it from a Mexican perspective.

You can buy american-style tortilla chips here in the supermarkets. I don't, and I don't know who does. Mexicans in general do not eat salsa and chips, as I am sure you know, and so far as I can see guacamole remains primarily a sauce and only secondarily a dip, at least in home cooking.

So chips are used primarily to decorate beans and to make chilaquiles. The common wisdom among Mexicans is that the worst tortillas (that is the thickish machine-made ones) make the best chips. And here I have one of my few differences with Theabroma because I agree with this judgement. If a little stale, they fry up nice and flaky. So buy some of these, cut them up, heat your oil, dump them in, and leave for about five minutes. You will know when they are done because they stop sizzling.

These are great with just salt. I would prefer them with salsa to the very thin and to my mind tasteless bagged chips. And they have the heft to absorb sauce, turn meat, and make great chilaquiles.

In Mexico the big supermarket chains sell their day-old tortillas prepared this way. They are pretty good.

Rachel

[chefsteban]

Ain't nuttin' like a good, fresh tortilla chip with guacamole or a simple salsa.....The store bought chips suck the big one....as mentioned above, look for a local tortilla shop and buy some of the best ( and freshest) chips your taste buds will ever come across.
Here in San Diego, we are fortunate to have many great place to buy chips that are still warm....
I recommend Tortilleria Lily on University Ave near 43rd St-- just walking into the shop is a head-trip with the aroma of freshly cooked corn tortillas that promises earthly delights.

[fierydrunk]

Juanita's in Oregon are the best store-bought, locally-made tortilla chips. I only see them at Winco in Portland and some tiendas.

[CookingFire]

Yes, they are sort of Americanized, which is good news for American shoppers. While you will find chips here in Mexico, in my grocery-shopping experience they are not as good as what you can get commercially in the U.S. (Fried tortillas are not really the same thing as chips -- they've got a different consistency, heavier, oily).

I love the blue chips made by Garden of Eatin'. They also make other organic versions in red corns, and soy etc...

FritoLay has actually come out with an organic blue chip through their Tostitos brand. I'm not one to plug big corporations, but this is very good -- not too oily, not to salty. If you can't find the Garden of Eatin' ones, these are great too.

A note -- these aren't good because they are organic, they are the best chips, in my opinion, and organic as an added bonus.

(Another thing -- don't try to make chilaquiles with these, they'd fall apart. You need those armor-plate deals so they stand up to stewing in sauce. These are just for chip-n-dip situations)

This post has been edited by CookingFire: 09 July 2005 - 08:20 AM

[caroline]

Welcome, Will. And a great blog. Loved the article on cecina,

Rachel