Salsa Rio

What is it?

Discontinued in the mid-1980s but still talked about, these tortilla chips were coated in a salsa-style seasoning built around tomato, onion, cilantro, lime, and a little chili heat. Compared with cheese-heavy flavors, the profile leaned more vegetal and tangy, with a bright, chunky salsa impression rather than a creamy one. The seasoning was applied heavily, so the chips left plenty of red-orange dust on your fingers. In the broader lineup, it sat closer to a fresh pico de gallo idea than to nacho cheese or cool ranch, and it's the kind of flavor people still compare to other tomato-forward snacks.