US citizens were invited to submit flavor ideas for Lay’s potato chips for PepsiCo’s annual “Do Us A Flavor” campaign and then vote for America’s favorite flavour.
After three months of voting, Ellen Sarem’s Tex-Mex flavor was crowned the winner, winning the San Antonio, Texas, resident the $1m prize.
Sarem said the flavor evokes good memories, particularly as tacos were the first meal she cooked for her fiancé, and has commended Lay’s for doing an “amazing job” in recreating the dish.
"You can taste the crunch of the taco shell, the spiciness of the beef, the sharpness of the cheddar, even the freshness of the lettuce," she said in a press statement.
Taco, bagels, fried green tomatoes, and more
This year’s competition saw three finalists competing for the main prize, with Sarem’s flavor pipping the post to Lindsay Hoffman's Everything Bagel with Cream Cheese and Gregory Pope's Fried Green Tomato.
This is the fourth year Lay's had held the competition in the US, with past flavor winners including Southern Biscuits & Gravy, Kettle Cooked Wasabi Ginger and Cheesy Garlic Bread.
PepsiCo has also run the Do Us A Flavour contest in Canada, with winning flavors including Maple Moose, Jalapeño Mac n' Cheese and PEI Scalloped Potatoes.
Lay’s Crispy Taco potato chips are now available in stores around the US.
Do Us A Flavor winners
- 2013 Winner: Cheesy Garlic Bread; Runners-up: Sriracha, Chicken & Waffles
- 2014 Winner: Kettle Cooked Wasabi Ginger; Runners-up: Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese, Wavy Mango Salsa, Cappuccino
- 2015 Winner: Southern Biscuits & Gravy; Runners-up: Kettle Cooked Greektown Gyro, New York Reuben, Wavy West Coast Truffle Fries
- 2016 Rebranded “Passport to Flavor” for the 2016 Summer Olympics. The four finalists were Chinese Szechuan Chicken, Greek Tzatziki, Brazilian Picanha and Indian Tikka Masala.