Tostilocos

Tostilocos

Close up of Tostilocos with Japanese peanuts
Course	Snack
Place of origin	Mexico
Main ingredients	Tortilla chips, Chamoy, Lemon
Cookbook: Tostilocos  Media: Tostilocos

Tostilocos (also Dorilocos^[1]) is a popular Mexican antojito (street food) that consists of tortilla chips topped with cueritos, cucumber, jícama, lime juice, Valentina hot sauce, chamoy, tajín chile powder, salt, and "Japanese peanuts".^[2] The dish was first conceived in the late 1990s by street vendors in Mexico. Tostilocos are now commonly sold by street vendors, stadium vendors, and at Mexican juice bars in both Mexico and Southwestern United States.^[3]

Origin

According to Tostitos Mexico, the original Tostilocos were created in Tijuana, Mexico by Javier Rodriguez. When trying to create a type of tostada topped with fruit and chile goodies, like any great creation he stumbled upon a creation by pure luck. The original mix contained: tortilla chips, cueritos, cucumber, jícama, Rielito, Japanese peanuts, lime juice, chamoy, and hot sauce. Since, several awards have been granted to the creator for its flavor and originality.

The word tostilocos is a combination of the name of Tostitos-brand tortilla chips and the Spanish word loco, meaning "crazy". So the name essentially means "crazy chips" or "crazy Tostitos".^[3]

Recipe

A bowl of Tostilocos with cueritos

The usual way of serving tostilocos is by cutting open a bag of tortilla chips lengthwise and adding chamoy, lemon juice, and if desired, Valentina hot sauce. After this, pigskin should be added and most used fruits to add on are cucumber and jicama, one can add any fruit desired. Next are the Japanese peanuts and the Tamarind candies. The candies that go with this may vary. The resulting concoction is eaten with a fork straight out of the bag, which is the original and most commonway. However, vendors have used different styles such as Styrofoam plates or bowls.^{[3] [4]}

Variations

Tostilocos is generally a "no rules" type of dish, so the ingredients may vary depending on personal taste. Besides the ingredients mentioned above, some vendors will also use nacho cheese, shredded cheese, sliced pickled jalapeños, tamarind candies, and chopped mango bits.^[3] The base chips can be any flavor of tortilla chips. Tostitos brand tortilla chips are the most commonly used (hence the name), but any of the numerous brands of tortilla chip works equally well. Some vendors also use different kinds of chips, such as Fritos corn chips, Doritos, or hot Cheetos.^[3]

See also

• Frito pie
• Tostitos

References

1. "The new snack craze on Mexico’s streets starts with Doritos, and goes from there". Washington Post. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
2. San Diego Magazine. p. 104. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
3. "Tostilocos, Tijuana Street Food, Hits the Mainstream - NYTimes.com". NYTimes.com. Retrieved 2014-01-22.
4. "Corn Chips, Garnished and Sauced. Loco? Right.". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 November 2015.