LA Vendor Stuffs Tacos Into Chip Bags
A Van Nuys street vendor went viral for stuffing entire meals—tacos and rice—inside bags of chips, creating what the NY Post calls a new "craze." The video garnered over 19k views and 60 likes. Meanwhile, an Indian street vendor video sparked debates with 199 replies and 47 likes about whether people would actually eat it.
The concept of serving a meal in a chip bag, often called a "walking taco," is a long-standing trend. Its origins trace back to the "Frito pie," a dish of Fritos topped with chili and cheese, which Texans and New Mexicans both claim to have invented. One of the earliest versions was reportedly created by Daisy Doolin, the mother of the Frito Company's founder, in the 1930s. The idea gained widespread popularity at the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee, where a version called "Petro's" was sold. This dish consisted of chili and taco toppings served in a Fritos bag, solidifying its status as a convenient, portable meal for large events. The format is celebrated for its simplicity and minimal cleanup, making it a staple at fairs, school functions, and sporting events across the United States. In recent years, the trend has been revitalized on social media. A notable example is the D.C.-area food truck Flavor Hive, which went viral for its "bring your own chip bag" concept. Customers bring their preferred bag of chips, and the truck fills it with halal meats, toppings, and sauces for a flat fee, a gimmick that has drawn massive crowds and over a million followers on social media platforms. This viral sensation stands in contrast to the online discourse surrounding some international street food. For instance, a video of an Indian vendor preparing a rose-syrup drink sparked a debate not about the novelty of the food, but about hygiene standards. Viewers questioned the vendor's lack of gloves and other practices, leading to a broader conversation about food safety in the street food industry.
