The Most Popular Brand Of Chips In The U.S. Might Surprise You

Chips – potato or otherwise – have to be one of the best sides or snacks around. They're crisp and crunchy, and you can get them in almost any flavor imaginable. While there are tons of brands out there that people know and love such as Cape Cod, Kettle Brand, Utz, Herr's, Zapp's, Miss Vickie's, among others, each brand has a different level of grease and flavor. And there is one chip brand that's generally the most popular across the United States. 

When it comes to salty snacks, chips are definitely at the top of the list, according to Snack and Bakery. In fact, Frito-Lay, which owns brands of chips like Lay's and Doritos among others, takes up 60 percent of the market share within the salty snack category. In the fiscal year 2019, Lay's saw a 0.5 percent increase with sales of $2.2 billion. However, Doritos out-paced Lay's with a 6.8 percent increase and sales of $2.4 billion (via Snack and Bakery).

If sales are not enough to convince you that Doritos are the most popular brand of chips, then you should also know they were scientifically designed to be an addictively good snack. The flavor itself is driven by salt and sugar, which are two of the primary pleasure solutes. Then the chips are loaded with flavor enhancers like MSG, disodium inosinate, and disodium guanylate, according to Business Insider. 

To top it off, flavors like garlic, cheeses, and other ingredients help make Doritos irresistible. The chips also contain acids, which are the second component that helps make them taste amazing. Acids like buttermilk solids, lactic acid, and citric acid all make your mouth water, which in turn makes the chips taste better too. When you bite into the crisp chips and then they quickly dissolve, in part due to the saliva production, it tricks your brain into wanting to eat more of the Doritos too. 

With so much happening to convince your body that these chips are absolutely delicious, it is no wonder they were the top pick in 45 out of 50 states, according to Insider, which based its findings on the frequency of Google searches for chip brands that occurred between 2004 and 2019. All you really need to wonder about is whether you want Cool Ranch or Nacho Cheese. Either way, you know these chips will be delicious.