A few posts back I highlighted a bag of retro-packaged, limited edition
My 3/4 eaten bag of Doritos Original Taco..told you I liked it!
Doritos Taco flavor that I had seen on the shelves. At the time I didn’t purchase it and have been kicking myself since then because it quickly disappeared from the shelves and I thought I wouldn’t get another chance to try this old-school Doritos flavor.
Luckily the self-punishment can now end because on a recent trip to the store I came across a distinctly non-Retro repackaging of the classic Doritos Taco flavor. While the packaging may lack the charm of the retro-style bag, it at least accentuates the brown color to evoke the spirit of the original branding. The flavor is now officially called “Original Taco” and, I was excited to tear into the bag and taste one of the flavors Doritos originally built its brand on.
Before describing the taste, let’s diverge into a quick history lesson about this flavor. Doritos were first introduced in 1966 with only a basic corn flavor but then the Taco flavor came just a year later in 1967. Although the brand is most commonly associated with the nacho cheese flavor, that taste was not introduced until the 1970s. Taco was eventually retired in favor of “bolder” flavors but apparently the some dedicated snackers kept the Taco torch aflame and it is back on the market.
Enough history, let’s taste this classic snack! Opposed to some of the modern flavor iterations, Doritos Original Taco is refreshingly subtle. It has that light hint of taco flavor one might associate with the taco flavor packets you would use with ground beef to make tacos on the stove but it’s just that, a hint of the flavor. Unlike some of the recent creations coming out of the Frito-Lay flavor labs that seem to nail the profiles of foods nearly dead-on, no one will confuse the taste of Doritos Original Taco with an actual taco you might have but that in a way is part of its beauty. The power of the natural corn flavor is still allowed to be showcased and the flavorings act more like an accent to it. This is a dangerous kind of chip it’s very smooth to taste and you can end up getting through a bag in no time at all! The saltiness is also kept in check and there is a subtle sweetness that adds to the flavor.
On the whole I’m finding myself enjoying Doritos Original Taco even more than I thought I would. It is not trying to be more than it is and takes you back to a simpler time where a snack didn’t have to have “extreme” or “mega” in its flavor name to be on a shelf. Its the perfect median between a plain corn tortilla chip and flavored chips like Doritos Nacho flavor. I think it would work great in combination with other foods such as burgers, or dare say it, Tacos.
Positives
- Subtle classic flavor that is not overpowering
- As Doritos go it leaves your fingers looking pretty normal after eating (no nacho orange color to get rid of!)
Negatives
- Introduced first as a limited edition reissue and now expanded, there is still some concern with how long this flavor might be around.
