Cheetos are America’s most popular and highly sought-after snacks, unfolding rich flavours and unique textures not seen anywhere. The industrial processes involved in its preparation typically make it impossible to replicate the exact taste of Cheetos at home. If you are craving something unique and have not tried it before, you can order Cheetos Masala Balls from Swiggy Instamart.
Cheetos are prepared by a type of “enriched cornmeal.” Typically, it is a type of cornmeal along with other items in its preparation. The ingredients are fed through an extruder that is responsible for heating the liquid inside the corn while allowing it to pop like popcorn. This process also helps in creating an uneven texture, sometimes referred to as “craggy.” The mixture is then deep-fried instantly and sprayed with powdered cheese.
What are the Ingredients of Cheetos?
Some of the basic ingredients of these lovely bites are:
- Vegetable oil (corn, sunflower, and/or canola)
- Enriched corn meal (ferrous sulfate, corn meal, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid)
- Salt
- Cheese seasoning (cheddar cheese milk, whey, canola oil, whey protein concentrate, maltodextrin, natural & artificial flavours, monosodium glutamate, artificial colour, citric acid, and lactic acid)
Let us understand each one of them in detail:
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Enriched Cornmeal
The cornmeal is not a surprising ingredient in Cheetos. It is a dried and ground version of corn kernels. Usually, field corn is used as it is tougher and features a lower sugar content in comparison to sweet corn. However, what is the cornmeal enriched with?
While ferrous sulfate might sound scary, it is iron in its essence. In fact, iron is an essential nutrient. However, Frito-Lay, the manufacturer of Cheetos, is not just adding this ingredient to make you healthier. The FDA website has come up with a note for food additives indicating that ferrous sulfate is a common ingredient in most forms of enriched flours. In these flours, these nutrients are added in the powdered form to compensate for the nutrient depletion.
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Essential Compounds
In the ingredient list of Cheetos, some essential compounds are also added to enhance the flavour profile. For instance, Niacin is an essential nutrient that is added to the mix. Niacin is a type of vitamin B3. In the case of vitamin B3 deficiency, you tend to experience weakness, headaches, anemia, and nausea.
Thiamine mononitrate is another form of additive in a pack of Cheetos. It is a version of thiamin – also known as vitamin B1- but not a naturally occurring one. Thiamin is another essential nutrient like niacin. While taking more of it will not make you healthier, its deficiency can still lead to serious health problems. Thiamin deficiencies are known to affect the cardiovascular and nervous system.
Producers like Frito-Lay leverage thiamine mononitrate, a synthetic powdered version of vitamin B1, as a replacement for regular vitamin B1 that corn contains naturally. The powdered form is used in place of natural thiamin as it is cheaper, easy to use, and quite stable.
Riboflavin is another member of the vitamin family that is being used in the production of Cheetos. It is also known as Vitamin B2. Riboflavin is essential for the synthesis of several chemicals into other useful chemicals in the body. While it is commonly found in cereals, processed flours like cornmeal in Cheetos are also quite abundant in this nutrient.
Folic acid is another vitamin-B-type nutrient available as an ingredient in Cheetos. Also known as Vitamin B9, folates can be regarded as a group of vitamins. Folic acid, on the other hand, is a synthetic, lab-made replacement that converts some compounds to folates.
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Vegetable Oils
The next ingredient is a combination of essential vegetable oils. You can get versions of either corn, sunflower, or canola oil in the production of your favourite pack of Cheetos.
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Cheese Seasoning
Ultimately, it is your favourite ingredient, the cheese powder! In addition to cheese seasoning, Frito-Lay also lists specific “enzymes” and “cultures” that correspond effectively to cheddar bacteria and rennet.
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Natural and Artificial Flavours
Natural flavours are those derived from plants or animals. Artificial flavours are those that are sourced otherwise.
Why Does the World Love Cheetos?
Frito-Lay is one of the largest snack conglomerates in the United States of America. Being a majorly recognisable brand in the world, there are some core reasons for the overall popularity of Cheetos amongst snack lovers:
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The Perfect Snack
Cheetos has been described as one of the most beautifully manufactured foods on the planet. Cheetos is available in puffy, crunchy forms. With the overall cheese and mesmerising flavours, having Cheetos has always been an enjoyable experience. As the puffs melt in your mouth, your fingers get sticky, resulting in a finger-licking goodness.
While sticky, the sour orange residue that comes out of Cheetos is something that makes the overall experience enjoyable.
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Immense Variety
There are several varieties of Cheetos available to cater to everyone’s taste. From the Salsa Con Queso edition to the Limited edition, Cheetos has something for everyone. The brand is never reluctant to experiment as well. For instance, there is a unique Cheetos X Oreo collection that is gaining popularity amongst snack lovers.
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Fan Personalised Marketing
Another interesting aspect of the brand is that it is capable of capitalising on everything. The snack has gained so much popularity that you will observe a pack of Cheetos in places you would not expect. This leads to ample exposure amongst diverse audiences, creating more Cheetos fans.
From its attendance at the New York Fashion Week to collaboration with other leading brands like Forever 21, the brand is also making its way into the fashion industry.
Conclusion
There is no denying the overall popularity of Cheetos as a global snack brand. If you are fond of snacks, you must try Cheetos Masala Balls, which are available online at Swiggy Instamart. You will love its rich flavour and unique texture to enhance your snacking experience.
