Takilicious!

            Being a proud Mexican, I love hot and spicy food and the hotter the better. One of my favorite snacks is Takis Fuego. “They are mini corn tortilla chips that are rolled up like a little taco.” But the taste is so addicting that it is almost like a drug.  You eat one, it’s hot, but you still want another one!  Some of my friends even call them Takilicious! The hot chilli pepper combined with the lime flavored makes your tongue burn for a few seconds and every time you take a bite you feel the real crunch.

            Takis chips have been in Mexico for a long time, I will say about 15 years, but it hit the United States until 2008. After all of these years, more people are becoming addicted to these snacks. Children, teenagers and even adults have change from Cheetos to Takis. Furthermore, the company made more than six types of chips. From Takis Fuego, Takis BBQ, Takis Nitro, Takis Guacamole, Takis Cruncy Fajita, and Takis Salsa Brava. It doesn’t matter which one is your favorite, you eat one and you will finish the bag in ten minutes!  Even people who have tried it for the first time have said, “Oh my gosh! I never tasted anything this yummy before.” 

       From the website TakisUsa.com, the corporation Barcel, “is an exciting, young and fast-growing, consumer packaged goods company based out of Coppell, Texas with presence in the U.S. largest markets. They manufacture, distribute and sell a great selection of innovative candy, cookies and snack, offering a mix of very original sweet and spicy products with varying degrees of intensity and sweetness. Just perfect for anyone wanting to amuse their sweet and salty taste buds with extraordinary experiences that break the rules!” With immense marketing on Facebook, they have reached more than 1.5 million likes.

So what are the secret ingredients of these chips? Takis Fuego “are made from corn, palm oil, seasoning that includes salt sugar, natural flavors citric acid soy protein, yeast extract, monosodium glutamate, maltodextrin, dodium diacetate, vegetal oil, artificial flavors, onion powder, and extractive of chilli.” However, I noticed something very peculiar, it says it contains Silicon Dioxide which is “an oxide of silicon with the chemical formula of SIO₂ and it is commonly found in sand or quartz.” In addition, this chemical compound is primarily used for the production of glass for windows, drinking glasses, and beverage bottles. First it didn't sound like a kind of food I would like to eat, but after doing more research I was amazed that I totally confused silicon with silicone. When I first read the word, I was thinking more of rubber than food, but silicon is a very important form of food, for the reason that it helps the development of bones and it keeps maintain a healthier skin, hair and nails. Furthermore, you can find silicon in oranges, apples, cherries, cucumber, lettuce and even raisins.

Another ingredient is Sodium Bicarbonate and it was added to the chips to relieve heartburn, maybe because these chips are so spicy it might be very tough to digest. Sodium Guanylate is a flavor enhancer that causes the food to taste in the whole mouth. Sodium Inosinate and Silicon Dioxide are just a common additive in the production of foods, primarily in powdered foods.  Maybe the words of the ingredients sounded too complicated that I didn’t think it as “food”, rather I was thinking they were just chemicals. However I guess the chips need these types of ingredients so they can taste amazingly good!