Rebecca Webb Carranza, R.I.P.

Most of you probably never heard of Rebecca Webb Carranza. I know I hadn’t. And yet…ahhhhhh…what an impact she’s had on my life.

What contribution, you may ask, did Ms. Carranza make to society? Why is her passing so remarkable?

Well, forget for a moment that the woman was 98 when she died (no small achievement).

Forget for a moment that she was a female entrepreneur back when females were still scrubbing floors and washing diapers by hand.

Forget for a moment that she was a LATINA female entrepreneur….

Yep, while respectable, those achievements pale in comparison with the other legacy she leaves behind.

For Rebecca Webb Carranza, ladies and gentlemen, is responsible for (are you ready???) the TORTILLA CHIP. Yes, betcha thought something so wonderful could only have been invented by a man, but you’d be wrong. According to the L.A. Times, she pioneered its creation and manufacture.

The story relates how in the 1940’s, for a family party, our gal took some discarded tortillas, cut ‘em into triangles, then fried ‘em up and served ‘em (much to everyone’s delight). Soon, she was selling bags of “Tort Chips” for a dime in the surrounding neighborhood. By the 1960’s she was delivering them up and down the west coast.

Now, I could be bitter and point out her role in the extra 15 pounds she’s put on my frame over the years, but when I think of all the pleasure she’s given me …I mean, I could almost LIVE on tortilla chips (and the ‘almost’ is ‘cuz I can’t exclude the melted cheese and salsa that goes with ‘em).

On an ironic note, today marked the announcement of a new study which concludes that a low-fat diet may not, after all, protect us from heart disease and cancer.

I don’t know about you but, personally, I take that as a sign from Above that says:

Bring on more Tort Chips!!!!!

And, God bless the soul of Ms. Rebecca Webb Carranza, may she rest in peace.