Why Mexican Doritos Supposedly Taste Better Than The US Version

Falling victim to the idea that someone else's is better than ours is a pitfall of the human experience. "The grass is always greener on the other side" mentality has led a slew of people on the internet to say that Mexican Doritos taste better than the U.S. version. Is there something to it?

In the same way folks swear the use of cane sugar in Mexican Coke makes it taste so much better, those who go hard for Mexican Doritos are adamant that the snacking experience is as different as night and day. Some claim that Mexican Nacho Cheese Doritos are thicker, crunchier, have a higher concentration of flavor, and more of a kick. They even choose to bypass the chips you can purchase in American grocery stores altogether, opting instead to order their Doritos from Amazon. "They feel a bit thicker, they also have more crunch, and don't taste as greasy to me. The flavoring has a mild spiciness to it, unlike the U.S. [version]. Get them, and you'll be hooked," one five-star review reads.

Although the package may look similar at first glance, there's a good reason Doritos made in Mexico taste different than the ones made here: They are produced by a Mexican company. Sabritas  is the sole manufacturer and distributor of Doritos south of the border. The Mexican company was bought by PepsiCo in 1966, making it a subsidiary of the soda giant — just like its U.S counterpart, snack maker Frito-Lay, which makes the American version. Along with its of its own line of chips, Sabritas also makes other PepsiCo-owned American favorites for the Mexican market, including Tostitos, Fritos, and Cheetos. (However, thanks to a law passed in 2018 aimed at combating child obesity, you won't find Chester Cheetah on Mexican Cheetos!)

The reason the Doritos made by Sabritas taste different from the Frito-Lay version is because the Mexican snack maker's recipe better suits local taste preferences. This is a marketing practice called localization, and it is a good explanation for why the Sabritas-made version is a thicker, crunchier chip that has a texture closer to that you might find at your favorite Mexican eatery. There are also some pointed differences in the ingredient list that could also explain differences in taste. U.S. Doritos use the generic term "spices" on its ingredient list, not naming any in particular, while the ingredient list for the Mexican Doritos specifically calls out flavors like chiles and achiote, which would certainly amp up the spice level.  

It's hard to imagine that anything could be better than U.S. Doritos when you consider they are scientifically proven to be addictive, thanks to high sugar and salt, saliva-stimulating acid, and the perfect fat content to satisfy your brain. That said, the opinion that Mexican Doritos taste better isn't universal. "Being from Mexico myself, I prefer American Doritos," one person writes on a Reddit thread dedicated to the subject. "They're cheesy and not spicy. Mexican Doritos aren't [especially] spicy, but they taste a lot like chili."