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| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 831 | calories |
| 49g | Fat |
| 85g | carbohydrates |
| 20g | protein |
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| nutritional information | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 4 | |
| amount per serving | |
| calories | 831 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| 49g | 63% |
| Saturated Fat 12g | 61% |
| 0mg | 0% |
| 1820 mg | 79% |
| 85g | 31% |
| dietary fiber 12g | 44% |
| Total sugar 14g | |
| 20g | |
| Vitamin C 20 mg | 99% |
| Calcium 155 mg | 12% |
| iron 3 mg | 19% |
| Potassium 762 mg | 16% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) indicates how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories per day is used for general nutritional advice. | |
(Nutritional information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Tostilocos are Loco or Crazy Tostito chips that you can enjoy whenever you feel like it. In my hometown of San Diego, which borders Tijuana, you can usually find them in fruterias or sold by street vendors, and in Tijuana there are entire stores dedicated to the snack food.
This invention is credited to Javier Rodríguez of Tijuanense, who conjured up this popular snack on a whim in the late '90s using the ingredients he had on hand.
What is in Tostilocos?
Typically eaten straight from the bag, this snack is sliced vertically and held horizontally, and filled to the gills with cucumber, jicama, Japanese peanuts, tamarind candy, and cueritos (pickled pigskin). spritzed with lime juice and clamato; and drizzled with chamois and hot sauce.
The crunchy jicama and cucumber offer a fresh contrast to the tostitos doused with lime, hot sauce and sweet and sour chamois; They also provide a crunchy textural contrast to the chewy pulparindo (a candy made from tamarind pulp) and pickled cueritos. The Mexican-Japanese peanuts — made with soy sauce and MSG — add a touch of umami and crunch to the snack.
There are many regional tostilocos variations, with places like Ensenada adding clams and Sinaloa cabbage. Some variations even add mango.
How to veganize tostilocos
In this recipe, we make these tostilocos meatless, veganize the cueritos with coconut meat, and replace the clamato typically found in Baja-style tostilocos with V8. Look for packaged coconut meat in the freezer section of your supermarket.
If you don't have access to coconut meat, fear not. Palm hearts will do it! And if Tostitos aren't available at your local grocery store, or you want to make them completely vegan (some Tostitos flavors contain dairy ingredients), you can substitute other chips for them. Feel free to use sweet-spicy chili doritos for dorilocos, takis for takilocos or sabritones for sabrilocos – you get the gist. Prepare them and serve them straight from the bag, or enjoy them in a bowl and snack right away!
recipe tips
- If you can't find Tostitos near you, try to find a Mexican grocery store and use whatever corn chip you like, or just use tortilla chips!
- For maximum enjoyment, Tostilocos should be prepared immediately prior to consumption. If you leave them for a long time, they will get soaked.
- If you'd rather not prepare the coconut cueritos, you can omit them. The Tostilocos still have a lot of flavor.
“A really easy recipe that's fun and delicious. Don't let the variety of flavors put you off…they really work! You get the sweetness of tamarind candy, backed by quick pickled coconut, tart lime and some great savory spiciness. I've tried plain tostitos and salsa tostitos, and the flavored varieties add an extra level of intrigue. Enjoy it right away before it gets soggy!” — Colleen Graham
For the coconut curritos:
1 Cup fresh coconut Canned Meat Chunks or Drained Hearts of Palm (4 ounces)
1/4 Middle White Onionthinly sliced
1 Bay leaf
1 teaspoon fine Salt
3/4 Cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Brown sugar
For the tostiloco:
4 outcrop sweets
1/4 Cup vegetable juicepreferably V8
1 teaspoon i am willow
1 teaspoon vegan Worcester sauce
4 (3rd ounces each) bags Tostito chips
1/4 Cup fresh lime juice (from 2 to 3 medium limes)
1/2 medium to large Cucumberdiced (approx 1/2 Cup)
1/2 Cup rolled Jicama
1/4 Cup applause
1 tablespoon Mexican hot saucepreferably Valentina or Tapatio
1 (7–ounce) Pocket Japanese peanuts
1 teaspoon Tagine
Make the coconut cueritos
Gather the ingredients.
The spruce eats / Bahareh Niati
Slice the coconut flesh into very thin slices, about 3mm wide. Place in a clean sterilized jar along with the onion, bay leaf and salt.
The spruce eats / Bahareh Niati
In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, 3/4 cup water, and brown sugar and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
The spruce eats / Bahareh Niati
Once boiling, pour the pickling liquid into the jar, stir and seal. Let it sit for at least an hour, at most overnight.
The spruce eats / Bahareh Niati
Assemble the Tostilocos
Gather the ingredients.
The spruce eats / Bahareh Niati
Cut the pulparindos in half lengthwise, then slice them crosswise into thin strips.
The spruce eats / Bahareh Niati
Drain the coconut cueritos through a fine mesh strainer.
The spruce eats / Bahareh Niati
In a small cup or bowl, combine V8, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Put aside.
The spruce eats / Bahareh Niati
To assemble into the bags, lay the bags on their side and cut open lengthwise. You can also arrange the tostilocos in a medium-sized bowl.
The spruce eats / Bahareh Niati
Divide the V8 juice mixture and lime juice among the bags. Mix to coat evenly.
The spruce eats / Bahareh Niati
Divide the cucumber, jicama, and drained coconut cueritos among the pouches, then drizzle with chamois cheese and your choice of hot sauce.
The spruce eats / Bahareh Niati
Sprinkle Japanese peanuts, strips of pulparindo, and a hint of tajín over the tostilocos. Serve immediately.
The spruce eats / Bahareh Niati
recipe variations
- If you can't find coconut meat, feel free to use hearts of palm instead. If using hearts of palm, substitute rice vinegar for the white vinegar. When assembling the tostilocos, substitute Maggi Jugo seasoning for the vegan Worcestershire sauce.
- You can also substitute roasted, unsalted peanuts for the Japanese peanuts if you like, but just toss them in soy sauce before using them in the tostilocos.
- Pulparindo candies are chewy tamarind candies flavored with salt, sugar and chili. You can use any flavored pulparindo or extra hot pulparindo. There are other brands of tamarind candy, and any of them can be used here. The key is that the candy should be chewy and have some flavor.
How do you eat Tostiloco?
Tostilocos can be assembled directly in the Tostitos bag, or put the chips in bowls and assemble. Eat tostilocos with your hands and grab the chips for scooping when you want a fresh, flavorful and sour snack! Leftovers at the bottom of the bag or bowl can be eaten with a fork or spoon.
