Every die-hard fan of Cheetos knows that getting bright orange dust all over your fingertips — and sometimes clothes — is a quintessential part of the snack-eating experience.
Even billionaire Jeff Bezos isn't immune to the cheesy condition.
Whether you appreciate the colorful mess or totally detest it, Cheetos is fully embracing the phenomenon by revealing that there's an official term for the lingering cheese dust: Cheetle.
“Snacking on Cheetos has become a special experience for many fans, including the experience of having the iconic cheese dust left on your fingers," Rachel Ferdinando, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Frito-Lay North America, told TODAY via email. "We (Frito-Lay executives) have long called that red and orange cheese dust ‘Cheetle,’ but it became clear from our fans the special interest they had, so we knew it was time to share our beloved name for this magic ingredient."
Cheetos have been around for over 70 years and enthusiasts have long embraced the orange fingers they get after munching on the corn puffs. According a Frito-Lay spokesperson, "Frito-Lay officially trademarked 'Cheetle' in 2005, but the company hasn't used (it) externally in much capacity until now and haven't told consumers about it." Before the term was trademarked, an earlier form of Cheetle was spelled "cheedle."
But now that the term is out in the wild, it hasn't been an instant hit with fans.
Others are fine with Cheetle as long as they can keep enjoying the same cheese dust-coated finger experience.
Now that the world has been officially introduced to the term, Cheetos is releasing two new Cheetle-filled snacks.
Cheetos Popcorn hit grocery stores nationwide this month and comes in two varieties, classic cheddar and a spicier Flamin’ Hot flavor.
On Friday, Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager got a taste of the new snacks.
"I hope you still get Cheeto fingers because there's no fun without that," said Hoda as she dug into the bowl.
Jenna, who admitted that Cheetos are one of her favorite snacks, was a little more skeptical.
The verdict? If you love the flavor of Cheetos but the texture of popcorn then you'll be in heaven. But if you prefer a crispy crunchy snack, then the original corn puffs are probably your best bet.
"Mmm, that's good. Oh, I love popcorn," said Hoda. "And it's got the cheese on it."
This is the first time that Cheetos popcorn has been available in grocery stores, but in 2017, Frito-Lay partnered with Regal Cinemas to bring Cheeto cheese-dusted popcorn to select theaters.
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Both flavors of popcorn are now available in larger, shareable bags for $3.99 and 2-ounce bags for $1.89.