5 things you didn't know about Doritos

There's an interesting history behind the popular chip. (iStock)

Many of us have eaten Doritos at some point.

Those neon orange triangles of addictively flavored nacho cheese-topped tortilla chips are found in pretty much every U.S. supermarket, corner store, and vending machine. They’re just about inescapable.

And while they’re not exactly healthy, it’s hard to argue that they’re not tasty — in that processed junk food kind of way. But even though they're everywhere, we bet that there are some things you didn’t know about Doritos.

They were invented at Disneyland.

Food company Frito-Lay owned a restaurant called Casa de Fritos at Disneyland, and one day in 1964 employees decided to cut up excess tortillas, fry them, and cover them in basic seasonings like cumin. They were such a success that Frito-Lay refined the recipe and released them nationally in 1966.

They were a trailblazer.

When Doritos were released in 1966, they were the very first tortilla chip to be given a national release.

The name is pretty cool.

The were originally called the "Doradito." It’s the Spanish term for “little golden thing.”

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They were completely overhauled in 1995.

That year, the chips were made 20 percent larger, 15 percent thinner, and the edges were rounded to prevent them from breaking off in the bag. They were also given a bigger dose of seasoning to make the flavor stronger.

There are lots and lots of retired flavors.

Flavors that were once sold but are no longer available include sour cream and onion, sesame, Nacho Chipotle Ranch Ripple, Jumpin’ Jack Monterey Cheese, Texas Tang, Chester’s Cheese (covered with Cheetos cheese — yes, please), and Buffalo Wings n’ Ranch.