Tortilla chips

Popular salted snack foods typically prepared by cutting extruded corn masa into chips, baking, and frying. Tortilla chips — the foundation of nachos — are eaten in the same way as potato crisps or as an accompaniment to dips such as salsa and guacamole; they are also available flavoured with a variety of seasonings. The nixtamalized corn base gives their characteristic toasted flavour. Quality depends on uniform thickness for even frying, controlled oil uptake, and crispness preserved by moisture-barrier packaging; food-safety control focuses on frying-oil quality, seasoning hygiene, and acrylamide management.