Doritos – Cool Ranch

In my brain, Doritos is synonymous with Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch, the red and blue of the brand is as ubiquitous as the chips presence on just about any grocery or convenience store rack. I think it’s safe to say that Doritos are a world renowned brand – even if they don’t have the same exact flavour as what your region may have, the name should be recognizable almost anywhere you go. I sometimes wonder if Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch are also synonymous with the brand itself in places other than the western world.

Opening a bag of these hits me with a wave of nostalgia every time, that tangy, salty fried corn smell is something that is burned into my brain and my mind’s tongue at this point. At this point in my life it’s likely easier to discern if it tastes different from what I remember than it is to determine what it should be tasting like. The human condition is a beautiful thing.

The cool ranch flavour is as advertised – ranch. The chips themselves have little flecks of green and red, which remind me of a spice rack. The flavour is a pretty distinct and addictive combination of garlic, tomato, onions, tomato and other flavours you would find in a ranch dip or dressing. I suspect even if you don’t like ranch you may like this flavour, as it doesn’t go too hard on the flavour and has a slightly more herb taste to it. Kind of.

The texture is something the scientists have mastered over a long period of time. To that effect it has the mass appeal you would expect – got a decent crunch without being hard, and having just the right amount of crisp snap to make it addictive and keep you coming back. They have definitely refined this down to a science over the years, and it shows. A part of me wants to stop eating just to spite them and say “you failed on one account!” but I can’t fight the science, and down the gullet goes another one.

There’s a reason that Doritos has been around for so long, and it’s essentially the unseated champion when people think of tortilla chips that are easily accessible and tasty. While I am not as crazy as Doritos as I was in my youth, I still find them to be very tasty and highly addictive. It’s just that there are more options on the market now, and I am one to chase novelty. That being said, I have zero doubt in my mind I will be looking down the opposite end of an empty bag not long from now.