Corn chip

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (August 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

A corn chip is a snack food made from cornmeal fried in oil or baked, usually in the shape of a small noodle or scoop. Corn chips are thick, rigid and very crunchy. Corn chips have the strong aroma and flavor of roasted corn, and are often heavily dusted with salt.

In Australia and Oceania, tortilla chips are referred to as corn chips. While American-style corn chips and tortilla chips are both made from corn, the corn in tortilla chips is subjected to the nixtamalization process, resulting in a milder flavor and aroma, and a less rigid texture. Tortilla chips also tend to be larger, thinner, and less salty than American-style corn chips.

Corn chips are most often eaten alone or with a chip dip. They are a common ingredient in homemade and commercial party mix. For a short time in the US, it was popular to add chili to a bag of corn chips and eat the mixture from the bag.

In the US, Fritos is one of the oldest and most widely recognized brand of corn chips.

An amusing cultural reference occurs in the animated film Mulan, where Mushu refers to male body odor as "that corn chip smell."