My Journey Continues

Rebecca Webb Carranza, 98, and creator of the tortilla chips, has gone on to that great siesta in the sky.

In the late 1940s, while preparing for a family party, Ms. Carranza cut some discarded tortillas into triangles and fried them. They were a hit and, the chips were soon selling for a dime a bag at her Mexican delicatessen in LA. In 1950 she was the president of the El Zarape Tortilla Factory and was among the first to automate the production of tortillas.

Carranza led an interesting life that began in Mexico. As a young girl, Rebecca and her five brothers lived through periodic raids by Mexican bandit and revolutionary Pancho Villa and other thieves in northern Mexico.

Being a tortilla chip lover, I am forever grateful for Ms. Carranza's contribution to the snack food world and send a double dip of sympathy to Ms. Carranza's family.