Takis are a Mexican brand of flavored rolled tortilla chips produced by Barcel, a subsidiary of Grupo Bimbo since 2019. Fashioned after the taquito, it comes in numerous flavors,[1] the best selling of which is the chili-lime "Fuego" flavor, sold in distinctive purple bags, introduced in 2006.[2] Besides the rolled corn chips, Takis produces other snacks with the same flavor lines, including different potato chip varieties, corn "stix", popcorn, and peanuts.
 | |
 Takis logo (top); guacamole-flavored Takis (bottom) | |
| Product type | Tortilla chip |
|---|---|
| Owner | Barcel (subsidiary of Grupo Bimbo) |
| Country | Mexico |
| Introduced | 1999 |
| Markets |
|
| Tagline | Face The Intensity Are you Takis enough? |
| Website | https://takis.us/ (USA) |
Takis were invented in Mexico in 1999 and introduced to the United States in November 2001[3][4] (originally as Taquis, before being renamed to Takis in 2004) and Canada in 2015. Barcel originally intended to aim Takis towards a Hispanic demographic, but its popularity has quickly spread among Gen Z and Gen Alpha.[5][6]
Flavors
editTakis are prepared in a variety of flavors, including:
- Angry Burger, a spicy hamburger and dill pickle flavor (green packaging)[7]
- Authentic Taco, a hot taco flavor (green packaging)
- BBQ Blast, a savory barbecue flavor, non-spicy. (brown packaging)
- BBQ Picante, a spicy barbecue flavor (brown packaging)
- Blue Flame, an extreme barbecue flavor (blue packaging)
- Blue Heat, a hot chili pepper flavor (blue packaging)
- Buckin' Ranch, a non-spicy ranch flavor (light blue packaging)
- ’’Churro Charge’’, a limited edition cinnamon sugar flavor released for the 2024 holiday season (pink/magenta packaging)
- Cobra, a worcestershire sauce flavor (red packaging)
- Crunchy Fajitas, a chicken fajita flavor with a yellowish appearance (green packaging)
- Dragon Sweet Chili, a sweet and spicy flavor with a dull red-orange appearance (black packaging)
- Fuego, a hot chili pepper and lime flavor. It is the spiciest of all varieties, as well as the most popular flavor[1] (purple packaging).
- Fuego azul, a spicy snack topped with a blue mystery spice powder, with a similar taste to Fuego. This flavor was released in the U.S. in 2019 as Blue Heat (blue packaging).[8]
- Guacamole, a spicy snack topped with a style of salsa guacamole (white packaging)
- Intense Nacho, a non-spicy cheese flavor and the first ever non-spicy flavor of Takis (orange packaging)
- Kaboom, a ketchup and sriracha flavor (purple, red and white packaging)
- Lava, a cheese and chipotle flavor (orange packaging)[7]
- Nacho Xplosion, a spicy nacho-cheese flavor (purple and orange packaging)[9]
- Ninja Teriyaki, a spicy teriyaki flavor
- Nitro, a habanero chili flavor (black-red packaging)
- Original, a slightly spicy snack (green packaging)
- Outlaw, a spicy barbecue flavor (dark red packaging)
- Party, a flavor of cheese and chile
- Rock, a presentation with flavor of chorizo
- Sal De Mar (formerly "Classic"), a mild snack topped with sea salt
- Salsa Brava, a slightly spicier snack than the original (yellow packaging)
- Scorpion BBQ, a barbecue flavor (brown and purple packaging)[10]
- Titan, a chipotle and lime flavor (dark red packaging)[7]
- Volcano Queso, a habanero cheese flavor (yellow-green and orange packaging)[10]
- Wild, a hot buffalo flavor (sky blue packaging)[7]
- Xplosion, a spicy cheese-flavored and chili pepper variety (orange packaging)
- Xtra Hot, a hot flavor similar to Fuego, but less spicy (black-purple packaging)
- Zombie, habanero and cucumber flavor (black-green packaging)
Other products
editIn July 2020, Razor released their scooter designed with the Takis brand.[11] Also in that month, Totino's released Totino's Takis Fuego Mini Snack Bites, consisting of pizza snack rolls covered in Takis Fuego seasoning.[12] In October 2020, Takis introduced Takis Hot Nuts, featuring peanuts in a crunchy shell coated with Takis seasoning. Its flavors include Fuego, Flare and Smokin' Lime.[13] In 2021, Grupo Bimbo expanded the Takis snack portfolio to include:
- Takis Waves, ridged potato chip[14]
- Takis Watz, cheese snack[14]
- Takis POP!, ready-to-eat popcorn[14]
- Takis Stix, corn snack stick[14]
- Takis Crisps, potato chip shaped like Pringles[15]
- Takis Kettlez, kettle-cooked potato chip snack
- Takis Hot Nuts, peanuts coated in crunchy corn snack
- Takis Chippz, thin-cut potato chips
Health concerns
editThere have been multiple claims on the Internet that Takis and other spicy snacks cause ulcers and cancer. Though the aforementioned claims have been confirmed as false, scientists and doctors have attributed gastritis and other stomach-related problems to Takis, though this has only been recorded to occur when ingesting too much of the snack.[16] Chronic gastritis can cause ulcers and stomach cancer.[17]
California public school ban
editIn March 2024, a bill was proposed by Californian politician Jesse Gabriel, aiming to disallow the use of food coloring additives blue 1, blue 2, green 3, yellow 5, yellow 6, and red 40 in public schools[18] to stop food with these additives from interfering with their learning or hurt them.[19] These additives are found in Takis and other food like Flamin' Hot Cheetos. Gabriel made it clear that this bill would not ban Takis and other products that would be affected by the bill outright.[20]
On the topic of the bill, he said that it “would not ban specific foods or products, but rather encourage companies to make minor modifications to products sold in California and could help prompt a nationwide transition to safer alternative ingredients.”[21][20] The bill, Assembly Bill 2316 (also known as the California School Food Safety Act),[22] was sent to Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California. Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond supported the proposal. In a statement, he said:[21]
“Healthy, safe school meals are foundational to our students’ wellness and ability to learn... As someone who depended on school meals growing up, I know how critical it is that our children receive food at school that is nutritious and is never harmful.”
The way the bill changes the law is through an amendment to Section 49431 of the Education Code.[22] Newsom signed the bill on September 28th, 2024 and it will be put into effect on December 31, 2027.[23][18] Once enacted, it will not prohibit students from bringing their own snacks with to school that contain the aforementioned chemicals.[21]
References
edit- ^ a b Esparza, Bill (17 September 2020). "The Ultimate Guide to Mexican Snacks". Eater. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- ^ "Takis Registration Certificate (Spanish)". tsdr.uspto.gov. 9 August 2006. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
- ^ "Taquis Registration Certificate". tsdr.uspto.gov. 27 May 2003. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
- ^ "Taquis Bag Specimen". tsdr.uspto.gov. 27 May 2003. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
- ^ "Takis". Snack History. Archived from the original on 31 May 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- ^ Kiely, John (8 October 2013). "Rise of the Takis". Houston Press. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- ^ a b c d Tansill-Suddath, Callie (26 July 2018). "The Takis Flavor Challenge Expands With 4 New Limited Edition Flavors, Including A Dill Pickle One". Bustle. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- ^ Dubois, Megan (28 May 2021). "The Most Popular Chips You Need to Try". Eat This Not That. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- ^ "Nacho Xplosion". Takis. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
- ^ a b Morillo, Alexis (30 June 2020). "Takis Has 2 New Limited Edition Flavors That Change Color With Every Bite". Delish. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- ^ Nelson, Dustin (19 July 2020). "Razor Now Has Scooters That Look Like Sriracha, AriZona Tea & Takis". Thrillist. Archived from the original on 8 August 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
- ^ Chan, Daffany (2 August 2020). "Totino's Released Takis Fuego Mini Snack Bites That Are Like Spicy Pizza Rolls". Elite Daily. Archived from the original on 8 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ^ Schouten, Rebecca (8 October 2020). "Takis unveils new spicy snack nuts". Food Business News.
- ^ a b c d Schroeder, Eric (21 May 2021). "Bimbo bringing Takis to five new snack categories". Food Business News. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- ^ Lawler, Opheli Garcia (13 October 2021). "There's a New Way to Eat Takis". Thrillist. Archived from the original on 31 January 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
- ^ Cox, Chelsey (31 May 2020). "Fact check: Spicy snacks, such as Takis and hot Cheetos, won't cause ulcers in children". USA Today. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- ^ "Gastritis". Mayo Clinic. 15 March 2022. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
- ^ a b "Newsom signs bill to expel six food dyes from California public schools". Los Angeles Times. 29 September 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ "California lawmaker introduces bill to prohibit 6 artificial food additives in school cafeterias". Fox News. 13 March 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Flamin' Hot Cheetos, Doritos, and Takis could be banned in California public schools under new bill". ABC7 San Francisco. 13 March 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ a b c Regimbal, Alec. "California moves to crack down on snacks like Flamin' Hot Cheetos, Takis". SFGATE. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Bill Text - AB-2316 Pupil nutrition: substances: prohibition". California Legislative Information. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ Rogers, Kristen (30 August 2024). "First-in-nation ban on 6 chemicals in school foods signed into law". CNN. Retrieved 20 October 2024.