Doritos are one of the most popular snack chips in the world, known for their triangle shape, crunchy texture, and bold flavors. The original Doritos were labeled “Doritos Corn Chips” and were tortilla chips that were fried until they were crisp, then seasoned with salt. However, over the decades, Doritos have expanded into a wide range of flavors beyond the original nacho cheese flavor. One of the more mysterious and lesser known flavors is Doritos 855. So what exactly is the flavor of Doritos 855? Let’s take a closer look.
A Brief History of Doritos
Doritos were first introduced in 1964 as a basic tortilla chip produced by Frito-Lay. By 1966, Doritos were established nationwide in the United States. The original marketing for Doritos branded them as “A New Kind of Chip…DORITOS Brand Tortilla Chips.” Early flavors beyond the original nacho cheese included taco flavor in 1967 and a chili-cheese flavor known as “Bold” in 1990.
In 1994, Frito-Lay revamped the Doritos brand, repackaging the chips in a new box and launching new flavors like Cool Ranch, Nacho Cheesier, and Zesty Taco. This helped catapult Doritos into one of the most popular snack chips on the market during the 1990s and 2000s. Doritos became known for their marketing campaigns and humorous ads throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The Advent of Limited Time Flavors
In the early 2000s, Frito-Lay began experimenting with releasing limited time special flavors of Doritos that would only be available for a short time. Some of the earliest limited batch flavors included Doritos 3D in 2004 and several World Cup soccer inspired flavors.
The limited time flavors helped generate buzz and interest around Doritos. Flavors like Doritos Collisions (a chip with two flavor halves) in 2005 became very popular. Releasing limited flavors allowed Doritos to experiment with sweet flavors like dessert and fruit inspired chips.
So What Exactly is Doritos Flavor 855?
In 2017, Doritos launched a mysterious new limited batch flavor exclusively in Australia: Doritos Flavor 855. The marketing for the flavor was cryptic, simply naming it Flavor 855 and challenging fans to guess what the flavor was.
Clues About Flavor 855
– Flavor 855 was described as a sweet and salty flavor, which ruled out traditional savory flavors like nacho cheese or salsa.
– The marketing for 855 showed a hand holding the chip against a purple background, implying it was some kind of grape or berry flavored chip.
– 855 replaced the usual Doritos logo with stylized “855” labeling, playing into the mystery of the unknown flavor.
– Doritos offered a $855 prize to the first fan who could correctly guess 855’s flavor on their website’s contest page.
Fan Theories on 855 Flavor
The cryptic marketing and mystery flavor of 855 sparked lots of speculation and theories among Doritos fans about what the flavor could be. Some of the most popular fan theories included:
– Grape soda flavor: The color purple featured prominently in 855’s marketing.
– Berry medley flavor: People guessed it was a mixed berry flavor like blueberry and raspberry.
– Wine flavor: Some thought 855 replicated a sweet wine flavor given its purple color.
– Candy flavor: Guesses like grape candy or grape popsicle tried to reconcile the color and “sweet & salty” description.
– Plum or fig flavor: Some drew connections to dried fruits that are purple and sweet.
The 855 Flavor Revealed
After several weeks of speculation, Doritos finally revealed that 855’s flavor was…Soy Sauce and Wasabi!
The soy sauce accounted for the “salty” aspect promised in the marketing, while wasabi brought a touch of heat and fruitiness from the wasabi plant. The purple color of the marketing seems to have been a red herring to throw off fans from guessing an Asian inspired flavor.
Limited Release in Australia
Doritos Flavor 855 (Soy Sauce and Wasabi) only had a limited 12 week run exclusively in Australia during the summer of 2017-2018. While the flavor got positive reviews, it wasn’t brought back for wider distribution after the promotional period ended.
However, Frito-Lay has continued using limited time flavors like 855 to drive interest and social media engagement with new exotic or experimental flavors of Doritos.
Other Limited Doritos Flavors
Here are some other limited edition Doritos flavors that have been released for short campaigns:
| Doritos Roulette | A mix of regular and super spicy chips |
| Doritos Locos Tacos | Modeled after Taco Bell tacos |
| Doritos Jacked Ranch Dipped Hot Wings | Hot wings and ranch flavor |
| Doritos Rainbow | Six colors representing fruit flavors |
Some limited flavors like Doritos Locos Tacos have gone on to become permanent additions to the Doritos brand due to strong sales and popularity. However, most are short lived experiments in new flavors.
The Future of Doritos Flavors
While flavors like Doritos 855 come and go, core flavors like the original Nacho Cheese remain popular decades after being introduced. However, the limited time flavors generate consistent interest and engagement among fans speculating over what Doritos will come up with next.
Many limited edition flavors are sold exclusively in certain countries like Australia, which helps tailor new flavors to local tastes. Going forward, we can expect to continue seeing experimental and limited run Doritos flavors as the brand evolves with consumer taste preferences. The mysterious marketing campaigns and consumer guessing games around flavors like 855 have become a successful strategy for Doritos over the past decade.
Conclusion
Doritos Flavor 855 combined the unlikely pairing of soy sauce and wasabi into a sweet and salty limited edition treat for fans down under. While the exact flavor wasn’t guessed by fans during its cryptic marketing campaign, it exemplified Doritos’s strategy of using limited run flavors to continuously generate interest in the brand. Even though 855 itself is long gone, it left a spicy wasabi and soy sauce heat on Doritos lovers’ tongues and showed how experimental flavors can become temporary sensations. The next time you crunch into the bold, flavor-blasted triangles of Doritos, remember the mystery that Doritos 855 brought in revealing that sometimes, unexpected flavors are the most craveworthy.