Those who frequent the parks and are aware of the bags of sweets that are popular lately may have noticed that spicy is very popular. Of course, nothing is coincidental in this world of snacks and the powerful industry and marketing behind it is now trying its luck with flavors that triumphed decades ago in other countries. The Flamin’ Hot range, with chips, Doritos and the popular Cheetos in a very spicy version, are the latest addition and come from a film with the same name that tells the story of the invention of these spicy Cheetos in the late 1990s. 80s in the United States.
Or, rather, the supposed story, because the script of this film directed by Eva Longoria and which can be seen on Disney is the version that its protagonist Richard Montañez has been repeating for many years. There is only one problem: according to data from PepsiCo – owner of Frito-Lay since 1965 – it is not true.
This is how the Los Angeles Times explained it years ago. After an internal investigation, the Frito-Lay company came to the conclusion that the spicy Cheetos were the result of the work of several people in the company, not a happy idea by Montañez, as stated in the aforementioned film, based on the book written by its protagonist. .
The story, of course, is irresistible, although the truth is that it is more sweet than spicy. American dream in its purest form: the son of a family of Mexican immigrants starts working as a cleaner in the company, denies his previous life of crime and, despite all the internal obstacles, manages to talk to the CEO of the company and move forward with his problems. Hot Cheetos.
According to the Los Angeles Times, even before the filming of this film, Montañez had already created a lucrative business giving talks on entrepreneurship in which, of course, his story served as inspiration for many.
Beyond the disagreements about the history and even where in the United States where it emerged, one thing seems clear: the Hispanic community played a key role in the success of this Flamin’ Hot range of spicy snacks. Present in that country for decades, it is not clear if their arrival in Spain is related to the aforementioned film – PepsiCo has not confirmed this detail – but it is evident that it is a trendy flavor with growing demand.
“Spicy snacks respond to a growing trend of searching for elevated and multisensory experiences, beyond functional ones. That is why it is a category that is on the rise, growing at double digits and although still small, it still has a lot of potential to grow,” says David Bardají, Marketing Manager at PepsiCo.
And, as our visual market study based on what we see makes us guess, the youngest people are indeed the main driver of this trend. “There are studies that indicate that 32% of the population consider themselves lovers of spicy food, while another 47% accept it. While it is true that spicy snacks do not depend on age, the growth of the category is led by the youngest group: Generation Z,” confirms Bardaji.
The three products in this Flamin’ Hot range (Cheetos, Doritos and Ruffles) are not the only ones on the market. Without going any further, Lacasitos recently also presented its spicy version and on the shelves of candy stores you can find dozens of options that, with bright colors and flames everywhere, promise a lot of spice.
Montañez asks his son something like this in the film, a taster of the different seasoning tests that they add to Frito-Lay snacks until they find the desired flavor. Spicy good, the little one finally certifies. Although we are convinced that the version that has now arrived in Spain will be weaker than the American one, the truth is that they are very spicy. Smooth entry, rapid rise of the spiciness that lingers for a while, but, it is true, it disappears later without leaving the palate nullified.
We found the Ruffles crisps of this same flavor and the Doritos to be somewhat milder, although that sensation of powerful spiciness is repeated. In the improvised field test in the park, we have also been able to verify that the interest of children is much greater than that of adults in trying these spicy flavors.
So the question is obligatory. Obviously sweets and snacks are not a recommended snack or something nutritionally interesting, but is it a good idea for children to eat spicy foods or can it be harmful? There is no conclusive data on whether spicy food is good or bad for health, indicates Miguel Ángel Lurueña, doctor in Food Science and Technology.
“The recommended age to expose children to spicy food is also unclear. Some pediatricians recommend not doing it until at least three years old, while others consider that after one year it would be appropriate,” he tells us. Despite this, please, don’t let anyone think about giving this type of snacks to children three years old or younger.
Although, according to Lurueña’s explanations, spiciness in itself is not bad, it can make children get used to very intense flavors and displace the consumption of healthy foods, especially taking into account that taste develops a certain tolerance to spiciness. and more and more will be needed to provoke that sensation.
