It seems like you can’t go anywhere without seeing Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Since launching Flamin' Hot Cheetos in 1992, Frito-Lay is continuing to expand their Flamin’ Hot product line. There are 15 Flamin' Hot snacks from popcorn to Doritos.

It's easy to mistake Flamin' Hot’s popularity as just another social media trend. But experts say, its success is actually a reflection of America's shifting demographics and their desire for more intense flavors. Here’s how Flamin’ Hot went from a janitor’s vision to a world-wide phenomenon.

Editor's Note: Richard Montañez's claim that he invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos was disputed in a 2021 report by the LA Times (https://www.latimes.com/business/stor..., in which Frito-Lay said, "We value Richard’s many contributions to our company, especially his insights into Hispanic consumers, but we do not credit the creation of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos or any Flamin’ Hot products to him." In response, Montañez disputed those allegations to Variety (https://variety.com/2021/film/news/ri...) and maintained his version of the story, saying that he may not have known what other divisions of the company were working on at the time.

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How Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Became America’s Favorite Snack