Fruit eaten out of a Cheetos bag?

May 29, 2022 9:01 AM

I saw some people doing what I think was this: eating fruit with a fork, out of a Cheetos bag slit open along the long edge and held sideways (like a bowl)

I was at Northridge Mall in Salinas, CA yesterday, killing time. I saw a woman walking around, holding a Cheetos bag on its side and slit, like a bowl. She was digging into it with a fork. I thought, well, that's a little different, but I haven't been around young people in mall for a long time, so maybe I'm the one who is out of touch.

I then came across a food stand, likely this or this, that had a display of fresh-cut fruit in plastic quart containers, smoothies, etc. As I got closer, I saw one of the workers holding a Takis bag cut open along its side, and she was putting what looked like melon cubes into it. She then took a pair of tongs, reached into a large plastic barrels (like, maybe 3 gallons?) and pulled out some white floppy stuff? maybe pickled onions? and added it to the Takis bag/bowl/container.

I've seen people eating fruit out of clear plastic containers, and plastic bags, but why snack food bags? What happened to the Cheetos that previously occupied said snack food bag? And what was that extra ingredient? One of the stores linked mentioned "bionicos", which might be the answer to 50% of my question.

I almost asked about it, but decided to live in uncertainty. Until now.

posted by Gorgik to Food & Drink (15 answers total)

I have never seen it with cheetos, but that sounds like a variation of “tostilocos”. The white floppy things are probably cueritos, pickled pork skin. The way I see it in San Diego (and my personal preference) is with Tostitos chips, and the whole mix of add-ins is eaten with the chips. It originated as a street food in Tijuana Mexico.
posted by gryphonlover at 9:07 AM on May 29, 2022

I've seen both nachos-in-a-bag and tacos-in-a-bag at county fairs using a bag of Doritos and adding appropriate ingredients into the side split bag.
posted by fairmettle at 9:13 AM on May 29, 2022

Walking tacos.
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:16 AM on May 29, 2022

Commonly called Walking Tacos

Edit: ninja’d
posted by Ookseer at 9:18 AM on May 29, 2022

Frito pie.

But none of these are fruit.
posted by NotLost at 9:24 AM on May 29, 2022

Tostilocos sometimes has fruit, there are lots of riffs on Tostilocos!
posted by Swisstine at 9:26 AM on May 29, 2022

Jicama (the white cubes) in Takis dust sounds awesome, and like a quick on-the-go version of sprinkling fruit with Tajin (a popular chili-lime-salt seasoning) or similar. Eat the Takis, dump some jicama into the Takis bag, keep on snacking.

The Cheetos thing has me stumped though. Unless it was Flamin Hot Cheetos, in which case, same as the Takis.

Also, try watermelon cubes sprinkled with Tajin sometime. It's potentially life-changing.
posted by erst at 9:27 AM on May 29, 2022

The street finds its own use for food technology.
posted by clew at 9:35 AM on May 29, 2022

So what is still very traditional at fruit carts/street vendors is fruit in cups or on skewers with fresh lime and chili powder, and then Tajin powdered lime and chili*, and now Hot Cheetos/Takis dust is the trendy option. That's how you arrive at what you saw, and if it was plain Cheetos, it's probably that some people can't tolerate spicy food. I would consider eating this - even though I am put off by eating out of the bag like that - if they did it with the far superior Jalapeno Cheddar Cheetos.

*I don't know why people get so excited about Tajin, which I think is disgusting and incredibly inferior to fresh lime juice or powdered Truelime with a decent and relatively fresh chili powder. The ingredients list refutes my assumption that there were maybe herbs in it - I have a weird sensitivity to some thyme and oregano varieties and they taste like dangerous dirt - but clearly the problem is just me. But for anyone else disappointed by Tajin, try fresh lime juice or Truelime and a chili powder you know you already like over fresh fruit, because it is delicious.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:46 AM on May 29, 2022

I know we're not supposed to do back-and-forth but Lyn Never is right... lime and chili powder and salt is absolutely preferable, but Tajin is the quick-and-dirty version that's easily packaged for fast food stands and also, have you seen the price of limes lately? My bottle of tajin gets used a lot more than fresh limes, alas.
posted by erst at 10:08 AM on May 29, 2022

Just coming in to confirm, tostilocos. Seriously, just Google image search and you will see a wealth of variations, with or without bag, including as well Takis, Cheetos, and Doritos.

Also if you have Netflix, the show Heavenly Bites Mexico has an entire episode about 'em if you are so inclined.
posted by daikaisho at 10:45 AM on May 29, 2022

I didn't know this was a thing (and I'm wondering if I've missed it or it just hasn't caught on yet where I am, because it would be an absolute hit here) but my very first assumption given your description was the chips were either whole or crushed in the bag, and then mixed with whatever as a spicy coating. (And I totally know people who would even eat it with regular Cheetos!)
posted by stormyteal at 10:59 AM on May 29, 2022

Now I’m imagining cubes of pineapple and mango and watermelon with a squeeze of lime juice and hot cheeto crumbs all over them them? Sounds sublime. I might actually make this at home.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 12:20 PM on May 29, 2022

previously, on MetaFilter
posted by glonous keming at 1:54 PM on May 29, 2022

Upon reflection I think the first one I saw was flamin' hot Cheetos. I remember the walking tacos thread, and didn't connect them because it was a fruit stand.

Thanks for the info, MeFites!
posted by Gorgik at 4:53 PM on May 29, 2022