Who Invented Takis?

Everybody knows that one kid in school who always ate too many Takis. Everybody would be hanging out at lunch and someone with some Hot Cheetos or Takis would comment on how hot they were and then some kid would say, “I can eat 100 of them.” Everyone would gather around to witness the kid stuff their face with spicy snacks until they threw up all over the lunch room. Well that weirdo kid was me and I still can’t get enough Takis. But who invented takis? When were takis invented? Where were takis invented? How were takis invented? Let’s Takis about it. 

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What exactly is a Taki and why are they called Takis? 

Takis are rolled corn tortilla chips. So imagine a flat, circular tortilla chip. Now roll that sucker up like a mini-taquito and dip it in some spice powder. You’ve got yourself a Taki. Takis may have gotten their name from taquitos because they kinda look like taquitos. 

Who invented Takis? 

There’s not a ton out there on the mysterious invention of Takis. They weren’t around then one day they showed up! Spooky. The website snackhistory.com says that a man named Morgan Sanchez invented Takis. There isn’t much information out there about Morgan Sanchez, but he most likely worked for the company that introduced Takis, Barcel. 

How were Takis invented?

It’s just as much of a mystery as Morgan Sanchez. But let’s have a guess, shall we? Barcel is the parent company of many products, such as cheesy Tostachos, spicy Churritos, and classic Mi Terra tortilla chips. It’s a company that makes snacks—many of which are corn-based and spicy. So, a guess is, one day Sanchez thought, what if I just rolled up one of these corn chips and then covered it in some of this spicy mix, and, bam, Takis were born. Or maybe a ghost came to him in the night and told him the secret to success. It’s a mystery.  

When were Takis invented?

Takis first became available in Mexico around 1999. That’s right, Takis were invented in Mexico. They showed up in the United States in 2004 and came to Canada in 2015. So that means that the characters in Saltburn may have eaten a Taki at some point. That’s wild to think about. 

While many new food products debut on grocery store shelves, Takis had a different approach. Takis first showed up at convenience stores. So those dang junior high kids walking home from school might stop at a 7-Eleven and discover a new spicy snack. Takis come in a variety of flavors and styles including Fuego, Blue Heat, Intense Nacho, Sweet Chili, Fajita Guacamole, and Zombie. Those Zombie Takis don’t taste like real zombies, they’re habanero and cucumber. At least I don’t think that’s what zombies taste like.

Takis sometimes get a bad reputation because of their spice and citrus flavor. Occasionally you’ll see old Facebook people passing around posts warning that eating too many Takis corrodes stomach lining or some other crazy claim. Don’t worry, Takis aren’t going to destroy your tummy—unless you eat, like, 100 bags in a row. I have done that and my stomach did explode, but I don’t think it was because of the Takis.