Munchos
Encyclopedia
Munchos are a Frito-Lay
brand potato chip
snack. Though originally marketed as being otherwise, the current incarnations of Munchos are actually thinner than most potato chips, to the point of being slightly transparent and containing air pockets. When first introduced, they were positioned as "a potato snack, thicker than potato chips." Their slightly curved shape and rough texture assist with dipping. Ingredients include dehydrated potatoes, corn
and/or sunflower oil
, corn meal, potato starch
, salt
, sulfate, niacin
, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin
, and yeast
.
When originally introduced in 1969, the ad campaign included the phrase, "It's MUNCHOS!" spoken in a really high voice. Cookie Monster
appeared in early commercials for the product, prior to his introduction on Sesame Street
. At that time, a bag sold for fifty-nine cents retail (now $2 ($3.29 in some areas) for a 7.25-ounce bag or ninety-nine cents for a "Big Grab"). The original Munchos debuted a few months after Pringles
, another brand of product that identified as "potato crisps" (a term Pringles adopted after Frito-Lay
successfully sued to prevent them from naming their product "potato chips"); in fact, early descriptions of Munchos closely parallel those of Pringles, with their curved shapes and thicker construction.
The current version of Munchos does not fit the description of the original Munchos; the current Munchos are, in fact, significantly thinner than the company's regular Lay's
potato chips, and the chips include several tiny air pockets that form in the chip as a result of the frying process. Lay's Stax
is a product that more closely resembles the original Munchos description.
Due to high production costs, advertising and prolific commercial distribution of Munchos are limited, although they can be found in most areas of the United States, and eastern Canada.
Frito-Lay
Frito-Lay North America is the division of PepsiCo that manufactures, markets and sells corn chips, potato chips and other snack foods. The primary snack food brands produced under the Frito-Lay name include Fritos corn chips, Cheetos cheese-flavored snacks, Doritos and Tostitos tortilla chips,...
brand potato chip
Potato chip
Potato chips are thin slices of potato that are deep fried...
snack. Though originally marketed as being otherwise, the current incarnations of Munchos are actually thinner than most potato chips, to the point of being slightly transparent and containing air pockets. When first introduced, they were positioned as "a potato snack, thicker than potato chips." Their slightly curved shape and rough texture assist with dipping. Ingredients include dehydrated potatoes, corn
Corn oil
Corn oil is oil extracted from the germ of corn . Its main use is in cooking, where its high smoke point makes refined corn oil a valuable frying oil. It is also a key ingredient in some margarines. Corn oil is generally less expensive than most other types of vegetable oils. One bushel of corn...
and/or sunflower oil
Sunflower oil
Sunflower oil is the non-volatile oil expressed from sunflower seeds. Sunflower oil is commonly used in food as a frying oil, and in cosmetic formulations as an emollient. Sunflower oil was first industrially produced in 1835 in the Russian Empire.- Composition :Sunflower oil is mainly a...
, corn meal, potato starch
Potato starch
Potato starch is starch extracted from potatoes. The cells of the root tubers of the potato plant contain starch grains . To extract the starch, the potatoes are crushed; the starch grains are released from the destroyed cells...
, salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
, sulfate, niacin
Niacin
"Niacin" redirects here. For the neo-fusion band, see Niacin .Niacin is an organic compound with the formula and, depending on the definition used, one of the forty to eighty essential human nutrients.Niacin is one of five vitamins associated with a pandemic deficiency disease: niacin deficiency...
, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin
Riboflavin
Riboflavin, also known as vitamin B2 or additive E101, is an easily absorbed micronutrient with a key role in maintaining health in humans and animals. It is the central component of the cofactors FAD and FMN, and is therefore required by all flavoproteins. As such, vitamin B2 is required for a...
, and yeast
Yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic micro-organisms classified in the kingdom Fungi, with 1,500 species currently described estimated to be only 1% of all fungal species. Most reproduce asexually by mitosis, and many do so by an asymmetric division process called budding...
.
When originally introduced in 1969, the ad campaign included the phrase, "It's MUNCHOS!" spoken in a really high voice. Cookie Monster
Cookie Monster
Cookie Monster is a Muppet on the children's television show Sesame Street. He is best known for his voracious appetite and his famous eating phrases: "Me want cookie!", "Me eat cookie!", and "Om nom nom nom" . He often eats anything and everything, including danishes, donuts, lettuce, apples,...
appeared in early commercials for the product, prior to his introduction on Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
. At that time, a bag sold for fifty-nine cents retail (now $2 ($3.29 in some areas) for a 7.25-ounce bag or ninety-nine cents for a "Big Grab"). The original Munchos debuted a few months after Pringles
Pringles
Pringles is a brand of potato and wheat based snacks originally developed by Procter & Gamble. Pringles are sold in more than 140 countries and have yearly sales of more than...
, another brand of product that identified as "potato crisps" (a term Pringles adopted after Frito-Lay
Frito-Lay
Frito-Lay North America is the division of PepsiCo that manufactures, markets and sells corn chips, potato chips and other snack foods. The primary snack food brands produced under the Frito-Lay name include Fritos corn chips, Cheetos cheese-flavored snacks, Doritos and Tostitos tortilla chips,...
successfully sued to prevent them from naming their product "potato chips"); in fact, early descriptions of Munchos closely parallel those of Pringles, with their curved shapes and thicker construction.
The current version of Munchos does not fit the description of the original Munchos; the current Munchos are, in fact, significantly thinner than the company's regular Lay's
Lay's
Lay's is the brand name for a number of potato chip varieties as well as the name of the company that founded the chip brand in 1932. Lay's chips has been marketed as a division of Frito-Lay, a company owned by PepsiCo since 1965...
potato chips, and the chips include several tiny air pockets that form in the chip as a result of the frying process. Lay's Stax
Lay's Stax
Lay's Stax is a snack food made from potatoes and produced by Frito Lay. It was introduced in 2003 to act as competition for Procter & Gamble's Pringles. They are packaged in a plastic tube while Pringles are stored in a cardboard tube...
is a product that more closely resembles the original Munchos description.
Due to high production costs, advertising and prolific commercial distribution of Munchos are limited, although they can be found in most areas of the United States, and eastern Canada.