# Pepper bellies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 26, 2007, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-bellies/389505 "2007-01-26T01:39:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-bellies/389505/1 "2007-01-26T01:39:27Z")
Cut the top off an individual-serving bag of Fritos Corn Chips Ladle in some chili Top with shredded cheddar cheese and onions Eat out of the bag with a fork. In high school (Northern L.A. County, in the desert) we called these ‘pepper bellies’. What did you call them? ---
**Author:** ![Ol\_Gaffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Ol\_Gaffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Gaffer)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-bellies/389505/2 "2007-01-26T01:43:57Z")
Frito boats - San Joaquin Valley. ---
**Author:** ![mks57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@mks57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mks57)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-bellies/389505/3 "2007-01-26T01:46:45Z")
Yuck. Then again, I’ve never liked fritos. I’d call it a mutant version of nachos. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-bellies/389505/4 "2007-01-26T02:13:33Z")
Fast-food Frito pie. I’ve also heard Frito Boat. But you are supposed to slit the bag sideways, not cut off the top. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-bellies/389505/5 "2007-01-26T02:16:00Z")
Never heard of it but my stomach actually lurched a little reading the description. Sounds horrifically disgusting 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-bellies/389505/6 "2007-01-26T02:19:49Z")
[QUOTE=OpalCat] Never heard of it but my stomach actually lurched a little reading the description. Sounds horrifically disgusting 😛 [/QUOTE] I understand the individual words, but not the way they’re put together. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-bellies/389505/7 "2007-01-26T02:37:18Z")
Part of it may be my dislike for anything wet being put on chips/other crunchy foods. The other way around is ok: dipping a chip into something like chili? That sounds good. Chips soaking in chili? _gag_ They just go soggy too fast, and it only takes the tiniest hint of sog and I’m totally revolted 😕 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-bellies/389505/8 "2007-01-26T02:42:25Z")
Mmmmm…chili-soggy Fritos…drool. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-bellies/389505/9 "2007-01-26T03:19:20Z")
We call those walking tacos. Pepper Belly is the name of my cat. ---
**Author:** ![No\_Power\_In\_The\_Verse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f9ae1b/32.png) [@No\_Power\_In\_The\_Verse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Power_In_The_Verse)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-bellies/389505/10 "2007-01-26T03:19:20Z")
Up here in Michigan I’ve heard it called a walking taco. They are sold them at my sister’s school on “special” days, that is days that they try desperately to fatten the kids up for winter. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-bellies/389505/11 "2007-01-26T03:36:00Z")
_Frito Pie_, back when I was growing up in Texas. The best damn carnival food in existence (well, except maybe smoked turkey legs). It actually takes quite a while for the fritos to get soggy- unless you’ve ordered way too much, it probably won’t bother you. Top it with cheese and chopped onions, and you’ve got a Food of the Gods. I still make it once every few months or so- it’s my favorite way to eat chili. For much the same reason, cornbread goes really well with chili. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-bellies/389505/12 "2007-01-26T04:16:03Z")
**Frito Pie** –yum! A staple at the concessions stands of high school football games and pretty much every other outdoor event here in Texas. Usually served in a cardboard/paper tray (like what you’d get nachos in). They used to sell them at Sonic Drive-In as Frito Pies, but now they only sell them as a Frito Chili-Cheese Wrap and they are the same ingredients but they’re wrapped up in a flour tortilla. I could do without the tortilla, but it does make the whole thing a lot easier to eat. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-bellies/389505/13 "2007-01-26T04:17:29Z")
Walking taco? Ok my mind went somewhere totally wrong on that one. ---
**Author:** ![lokij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@lokij](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lokij)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-bellies/389505/14 "2007-01-26T04:22:47Z")
There used to be a mall food chain that operated here called “Petros” that sold those, only they put a layer of fritos in a bowl, topped with chili, cheese, tomatoes, onions and sour cream. You could also add hotsauce. They then expanded to hot dogs, chili dogs and baked potatoes and had THE BEST sweet tea (hint of orange). I just looked at their site and it seems they’re down to one location in Rivergate mall now but have quite a few operating in east TN. ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-bellies/389505/15 "2007-01-26T04:34:24Z")
Sounds like a frito pie, served in the messiest manner possible. I’m used to eating them out of those wax paperboard, rectangular bowls. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-bellies/389505/16 "2007-01-26T05:46:17Z")
We always called them Frito Chili Pies. I learned to make them in Camp Fire Girls camp. My husband and I still love this dish, but have it only rarely. A bit of sour cream on it is VERY good. ---
**Author:** ![kath94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/67e7ee/32.png) [@kath94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kath94)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-bellies/389505/17 "2007-01-26T06:11:38Z")
Chili Billies! Some club or another sold them as a fund raiser in high school. Exactly as described – an individual bag of Fritos with chili ladled on top and sprinkled with shredded cheese. Yum. Of course, back at good old Marina High, with a “cafeteria” that carried only pre-packaged food (really bad burritos & “Alpo” burgers) having something “specially made just for you” was a treat. Ah, those carefree days of my youth. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-bellies/389505/18 "2007-01-26T06:15:44Z")
Walking tacos here, too. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-bellies/389505/19 "2007-01-26T06:34:30Z")
[QUOTE=MadTheSwine] We call those walking tacos. Pepper Belly is the name of my cat. [/QUOTE] Pepper Belly is a fantastic name for a cat. I may have to steal it when this one gets tired of this mortal coil and shuffles off. (Which isn’t going to be for a long damn while.) I have never even heard of this particular treat, but I think I’m going to have to get drunk sometime and try. It sounds like post-beer food. And it may just be because I’m from Wisconsin, but deep-fried cheese curds are the best carnival food in existence. Period. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-bellies/389505/20 "2007-01-26T06:45:44Z")
Frito pie, of course! Served in the bag, with chili, cheese, and onions and a plastic spoon. Yummy and greasy! We used to get them all the time at my brother’s Little League games. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-bellies/389505.md?page=2)