For two decades, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos has been one of the most popular snacks in America. In recent years its legend has grown, as word spread that they were invented by Richard Montañez, a Mexican-American janitor at Frito-Lay who went on to become a company executive. The story made Montañez something of a Latino icon, with two memoirs and a biopic based on his life. But when a journalist at the L.A. Times started looking into this feel-good story, he found a very different tale.

This episode originally aired on September 20, 2021, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, and edited by Tracey Samuelson. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Giulia Leo, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell. This update was produced by Gianna Palmer. Publishing by Shantel Holder.

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Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

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Who Invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos? (Reheat)

The Sporkful

Who Invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos? (Reheat)